Flavio Roddolo Cabernet Sauvignon 'Bricco Appiani' 2010

A reclusive farmer untouched by trends or passing fads, Flavio Roddolo singlehandedly tends 6ha of Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto on the border between Monforte and Dogliani. His meticulously tended, low-yielding old vines have been farmed organically and without chemicals for over 40 years.

In an old farmhouse in the Bricco Appiani hills, Flavio vinifies his wines the way his father taught him: after long macerations and fermentations with indigenous yeasts, they are aged in cement and old oak, and bottled in tiny quantities only when he feels they are ready. The results are some of Piedmont’s last remaining traditionalist hidden gems – singular and soulful wines which evolve deliciously complex flavours over time.

Flavio’s Dolcetto d’Alba and Barbera d’Alba stand out for their old-vine fruit concentration and uncommon ability to age, while his Nebbiolo d’Alba rivals many Barolos for its dazzling intensity and drive. Roddolo’s Barolo ‘Ravera di Monforte’ – from a southeast-facing site surrounded by forest – is the jewel in his crown, marked by its exquisite perfume and suave tannins.

With Flavio in his mid-70s and having no family to take over the vineyards, the future of the winery is uncertain. Typically snapped up by a loyal following of ‘Roddolistas’ drawn to the quality and affordability of Flavio’s late-release bottles, this is your chance to try the wines of a true Piedmontese artisan while you still can.

One of the most unique wines in Piedmont: a wild and tempestuous take on Cabernet Sauvignon. Smoky, meaty nuances unfurl around a core of dusty red fruit and fine tannins. Beguiling!