Barbaresco, Albesani, Vecchie Viti, Riserva, 2019

Grand-scaled but also so precise and finely tuned, the Albesani VV offers up a floral fan on a nose, super shiny and sophisticated, irresistible. Firmer, more concentrated and overtly mineral on the palate; salty and more vertical – a wine of enormous focus delivered with an array of floating alpine berries and citrus. When Pierguido took over winemaking in 2010 the first wine he introduced was this small, 70–90-year-old 0.2ha plot bottling in his grandfather’s honour. The tiny area means that production is contingent on there being enough perfect grapes to fill a single cask. Typically, it requires a classic harvest at the end of October with healthy and thick enough skins to permit a long maceration of 90 days with submerged cap. Aged for three years in cask and three years in bottle before release. Total production is 900 bottles.