2010 Barolo, Pira, Vecchie Viti, Roagna, Piedmont, Italy

Only 2,000 bottles of the old-vine La Pira, located under the castello di Castiglione Falletto, were made by the Roagna family in this excellent vintage; rather unsurprisingly given the oldest vine was planted in 1937. Compared to their normal La Pira, this oldvine version is super-suave, with velvety cassis-fruit, underpinned by a cool white-stone – almost marble – core and minerality. It's got that extra gear of fruit but also of purity and balance. This was particularly excellent in 2010; a wine to challenge Mascarello's Monprivato for purity and poise.

The father and son team of Alfredo and Luca Roagna are celebrating the completion of their new cantina in Castiglione Falletto, in the heart of La Pira vineyard, a prime location they’ve owned since 1989, but had bought fruit from since the 1950s. Both in their Barolo and Barbaresco estates (15 hectares in total), they pride themselves on their organic, grassed-over vineyards. They’re fortunate to have a wealth of oldvine fruit at their disposal which, of course, they vinify traditionally with extended maceration in large oak barrels.