These vines face southeast in Arborina, across the road from Settimo on a slope that, on the opposite side of the swale, belongs to Elio Altare. Why isn’t this Barolo? Because, Tiziana says, ‘we love Dolcetto!’ This is a darker, richer, real gutsy style of Dolcetto that is extremely savory and food-friendly. She holds it back on purpose so its rough edges all melt away and it drinks way over its paygrade. Don’t sleep on this. It’s really good.

It’s always lovely to sit down with Tiziana and her son Davide to catch up on what’s new in the Aurelio Settimo cellar. Even though the cantina has undergone a recent renovation, you still won’t find any new wood or small barrels among the concrete fermenters and large Slovonian oak botti. A self-professed staunch traditionalist, Tiziana farms her family’s privileged parcel of Rocche dell’Annunziata with old-school precision, so the wines she makes will drink well all through their lives.