Barolo was enjoyed by Pliny the Elder, but it was not until the 19th century that a French winemaker realised that this unremarkable sweet red was being bottled prematurely, and if only the remaining sugars could be allowed to ferment fully – for up to three years – one would have a dry red of immense quality – and so greatness was created. The nebbiolo grape – harvested in the mist (“nebbio”) of late October – is at its best in the special pockets of soil nestling under the lee of the Southern Alps in North-western Italy. Here, from “The Hill of Violets’ top winemaker Aldo Vaira makes a wine that is all about violets, rubies, cherries, minerality, intensity and velvety tannins.