One of the world’s greatest red wines, Barolo is the only Italian wine that can command the same respect as say Bordeaux or Burgundy. It is a traditionalist’s wine, full-bodied, distinctive, tannin-rich (so perfect for long ageing) and tremendous in quality. So it may come as a bit of a surprise to find a young winemaker with an essentially simple vision commanding a place on Barolo’s centre stage.

Founded in just 1986, Roberto Voerzio is often considered with the modern school of Barolo, although nothing could further from the truth. Citing Bruno Giacosa and Giovanni Conterno among his heroes, he adheres to the Italian winemaker’s traditional principles such as long ageing in cask (or botti). To this he adds his signature: fantastically low yields and meticulously maintained vines that equal wines that taste fresh despite two decades of cellaring. Opting for single vineyard wines where possible (he has as many as seven in his portfolio, although it would be very uncommon for all seven to be released in the same vintage), his drive for perfection is rare, even among the demanding Piedmontese. Low yields naturally equal low production but Voerzio is perhaps among the lowest of them all - just 150-450 cases are released each year, making this one of Italy’s most covetable wines.

Voerzio has just 22-hectares in La Morra’s finest sites, giving him a collection of grand cru vineyards matched by few growers. His vigilance in the fields has earned him the reputation of delivering the purest expression of Nebbiolo possible, and it does not take an oenologist to see that from the very first vintage his wines are simply gorgeous. His 2000 Barolo Sarmassa di Barolo earnt a massive 98 points from Antonio Galloni’s Vinous, while other vintages consistently score in the high 90s. Unsurprisingly, these do not come cheap: Roberto’s reputation and high regard by critics, along with the tiny production make his Barolos some of the most expensive and collectable bottles in the world.