My boyfriend’s brother finally got his green card, after 15 years in the US on visa after visa. We decided to have a little celebration at home (a little vegetarian pasta anyone?), but that didn’t mean the wine couldn’t be special. I rooted through my wines, the ones I have tucked away for aging or for special occasions, to find one that I thought could be fun and fitting for the meal.

The wine I decided to try was a Dolcetto d’Alba, a lighter-bodied red wine from Barolo in Piedmont. The producer Barale Fratelli was one of the pioneers of Barolo production and focuses on specific vineyard sites—here, Costa di Rose— to bring the best of the region’s grapes to life. Dolcetto tends to make light, fruity wines balanced by tannins, with some structure and acidity; they’re typically great drinking wines for a decent price from an otherwise expensive region.

With a little bit of age, this wine developed complex, gorgeous notes that made it one worthy of our celebration. A thick, garnet red in color, the aromas were equally rich, ranging from red raspberries and violets to black pepper, sweet tobacco, and leather. It rested easily on the palate, medium in body with delicate tannins. It was fruity and light, while carrying some of those more complex notes of leather and tobacco with it all the way through the finish. Overall, we found it to be a lovely, impressive wine.

12.5%, 4 out of 5 stars

If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on one, they run about $15.