La Torricella

Monforte d'Alba \\ Piemonte \\ Italy

Winegrower Diego Pressenda set things up many years ago, and today oversees thirteen hectares of heartwarmingly beautiful vineyards near the town of Monforte d'Alba. The main operation is run these days by his children. Alessandra is the wonderful chef, and along with her husband Francesco manages the agriturismo restaurant. Silvia is the breathtakingly talented winemaker, still just in her twenties. And Oscar, even younger still, looks after the commercial side of things. A third sister, Annalisa, the eldest, is a gifted amateur artist and designer of La Torricella's elegant labels.

The wines are all so honestly made, with a hallmark freshness and felicity. The vineyards are 490 metres high in the hills of Monforte and Roddino, divided into distinct parcels and the grapes from these multifaceted terroirs vinified separately. This attention to detail extends to the winery's cellar, which has one side exposed to a wall of natural earth in order to promote the correct humidity (80 per cent, as you ask).

Piled in a corner of the cellar are some old 1980s vintages, put down by Diego for each of his children's birth years. La Torricella is a small, tight-knit family estate whose future is in very safe hands. Brave ones too: an enigmatic barrel sample of Riesling confounded and delighted in equal measure. Yes, there's something a little bit magical about La Torricella.