Vietti, Barolo 'Rocche di Castiglione' 2018

It’s hard to imagine now, but Barolo wasn’t always one of the world’s premier wine regions. As recently as the ‘50s, it was still a bit of a backwater, with wine made mostly for domestic consumption. Vietti changed all that. They pioneered the practice of making single-vineyard bottlings, showcasing the potential of plots like Brunate, Rocche and Villero. As a result, their wines became some of the first from Piedmont to make it to the US. In the 80s, they experienced a heroic run of years - ‘82, ‘85, ‘88, ‘89 - that took their reputation to the next level. And now under the direction of the founder's son, Luca Currado, Vietti is making some of the most elegant and nuanced wines Barolo has ever produced.