The soulful, mineral and energetic wines of Davide Rosso

As Ed and I discovered on our September visit, there's much to like about the 2009 vintage in Barolo. Warmer than 2008, but not as hot as 2007, it won't garner the huge critics' scores 07 did, nor will it be revered by the growers like 08 (or 2010 looks set to be). But for those moving on from Burgundy and discovering the diversity and excitement of the finest Nebbiolo sites, this is a vintage which combines early charm with classic appeal. The entry-point (village-level, in Burgundian terms) wines will be drinkable on release and even the most ageworthy wines should be enjoyable within their first decade.

Giovanni Rosso is one of two growers we visited for the first time on this trip. The family has farmed vineyards in the south-easterly commune of Serralunga d'Alba since the 1890s. Here the soils are the most calcareous in the DOCG, and they typically produce the most mineral wines, and some of the longest-lived.

In 2001, aged just 27, Davide Rosso took over from his father Giovanni. Today the property amounts to 15 hectares within the village, comprising many of the finest sites in top crus such as La Serra and Cerretta. Having trained partly in France - under such greats as Denis Mortet and Etienne Grivot, he is very much preoccupied with the typicity and authenticity of each of these crus, and he stopped using chemicals seven years ago. In the winery, the crus are given 28 to 32 days' maceration and fermentation in concrete, with natural yeasts and no temperature control.

The resulting wines have depth, power, complexity and class. The Cerretta is deceptively pale in colour, with bright red fruits and savoury, earthy flavours, while La Serra leans more towards coffee, leather and liquorice notes and black fruits, with denser tannins. For early drinking, don't miss the generic bottling, which is a classic expression of Serralunga - forest fruits, earthy, and great value. /AR

Available winter 2013/14