One of Barolo’s most revered wineries, VIETTI boasts wines of impressive finesse and approachability.

Massimiliano Vaira delivered a thorough synopsis of the wineries’ history and traditions, and then we tasted the Roero Arneis.

It showed elegant complexity of melon and citrus, almonds and herbs, and its piercing acidity calmed down after a few minutes to become perfectly delightful, though atypical for Arneis from Piemonte, which I’m told is usually oaked and creamy.

The reds followed, and Naseem was luckier than I, preferring the less expensive Nebbiolo Perbaco, while I was blown away by the Vietti Lazzarito 2017, named after a hospital and evidently designed to cure what ails me, though at 8 times the price of the entry-level expression.

Lazzarito might be the best Barolo I’ve ever tasted, for unlike many other famous Barolos I’ve tasted over the years, this wine showed a restrained richness, with a firm undercurrent of tannin overlaid with black cherry and red currant, leather and spiced orange peel.

All the wine critics love Lazzarito, and we bought a bottle to put away and forget, but we went all in and bought a case of the Arneis for its finesse and unique character.