Pavi 2005 Dolcetto, Napa Valley
This will be a bit sketchy, as this is a new varietal for me so I had no idea what to expect. My reading on this suggested it is a light fruity wine, normally consumed young, within three years of vintage, clearly this 2005 is well beyond that and is heavier in body, displaying some age in it's profile while retaining some fruitiness.
Appearance; Clear medium garnet, quickly forming long thin legs.
Aroma; moderate intensity, a bit of barnyard dissipating after ~30 minutes or so resolving to cassis, aged fruit, stewed fruit, a bit of nuttiness and some alcohol as it warms.
Taste; bone dry with medium body, fruity entry, a bit of an edge mid palate, adequate acid to balance the fruit. There is a pleasant woody resinous note to the finish, not clearly cedar or oak, nor really tannic. Perhaps a touch of bitter almond, not objectionably so, in the medium finish.
This is a pleasant wine that did much better with my bread, tapenade, cheese plate and pizza of last night than the CB&C of this evening. Better as it warmed from 55F to 65F, but fading at 70F. Being eight years past vintage, this seems to defy the 'drink young' tradition of Italian Dolcetto; perhaps because it's a heavier CA style. I tend to prefer aged wine to those fresh out of the barrel, so after the initial funk dissipated, this was an enjoyable bottle and I still have enough to see how it evolves over another day or so. Didn't get the opportunity to pass this one around like I generally do; shared only with two Japanese (Moscato) females and certainly not sweet-tooth SWMBO approved. Would seriously consider if in the < $15 range.
