"First, a range from a producer in Piedmont I have long admired; Michele Chiarlo. As distinctive and elegant as his beautifully designed labels".

Not cheap (the importers, Hallgarten, gave me the current retail prices).

Top of the range, around £32 per bottle is Chiarlo's 1999 Cerrequio: fairly deep, plummy coloured; nose initially reluctant but took to air like a duck to water; sweet, soft yet with an as-yet-immature Barolo bite. Ideally more bottle age, but delicious with Daphne's pasta dishes. [>>]