Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Italy 

Elio Altare was quite the maverick, abandoning tradition in favour of modern techniques like green harvesting, reducing yields and the use of French oak. Leading the modernist movement in Barolo, his zeal for innovation was intended to raise the quality of the region’s wines, a mission carried on by his daughter, Silvia. This Nebbiolo comes from four different communes of the Langhe—La Morra, Castiglione Falleto, Serralunga d’Alba and Barolo—and spend 24 months in old oak barriques (as opposed to the traditional larger barrels) and was bottled unfiltered. Immense and striking with notes of kirsch, cassis, cherry lozenge, black liquorice, wild roses and dried apricots with fine-grained tannins and cavernous depth. Buy one for yourself & one for the cellar — this beauty has more than enough vitality to age gracefully.