REGION: Piedmont

The only woman in a group who revolutionized the area’s winemaking in the 1980s, Chiara Boschis became known as the “Barolo Girl.” 30 years after taking the reins at E. Pira she is a legend, crafting some of the most sought-after wines in Piedmont from 11 hectares in Barolo, Monforte and Serralunga.

After a trip to Burgundy in 1976 Elio Altare reinterpreted his father’s wine to favor elegance and balance through new techniques in the vineyards and cantina. Now run by daughter Silvia, Altare is the reference point for the modern Barolo movement in La Morra.

Luca Ferraris is alternatively called the godfather or savior of the Ruchè variety; he saved this spicy, aromatic red from the brink of extinction and has brought it to the world stage. His three expressions of Ruchè show both its fun, friendly side as well as impressive layers of complexity.

A family-run estate in Dogliani, terroir non-pareil for Dolcetto. Their old vines are from a massal selection in a prephylloxera vineyard 550 meters in elevation. Cooler climate and dense calcareous clay lead to powerfully enhanced bouquet with impressive minerality and structure.

In 1964, the tenant farmer Ettore Seghesio saved enough money to buy his farm from its owner and replanted the land to Nebbiolo. Today run by Ettore’s son, Riccardo, Seghesio’s outstanding terroir culminates in the single vineyard Barolo ‘La Villa’ from the cru of Castelletto in Monforte d’Alba.