Over the last two decades or more, as the prices of, first, classed growth Bordeaux, and then grand cru Burgundy have moved almost relentlessly upwards, one region’s fine wines have remained, for the most part, unaffected by the attention of speculators. The best Barolos and Barbarescos are, to the palates of many shrewd commentators, the equal of top-end Bordeaux or Burgundy in both nuance and complexity. Yet these Piedmont interlopers remain immune to the cachet of their French – or even Tuscan – counterparts, existing in a relatively under-the-radar subset to a more select group of savvy collectors.

It’s a status that is all the stranger when one considers not only the relative affordability of the wines, but also their overarching style. Just as the world has moved away from the over-ripe, over-oaked and over-extracted wines of the Parker era, so Piedmont producers have turned down the volume and embraced the cru concept of the region, emphasising place above all else and harnessing greater finesse by ageing in large foudres rather than smaller barriques. As a result, the best wines are supremely elegant and expressive, the Nebbiolo grape harnessing both a seductively fruity element but also a refreshing acidity, making them the ideal food partner. Add in compelling tension, layered texture and a haunting perfume, and this is a style that, just like red Burgundy, ticks all the boxes of contemporary taste.

And yet old stereotypes remain. Many wine lovers fear that Barolo, in particular, will be hugely tannic, requiring a decade or more in the cellar to be even mildly broachable. And consumers aren’t the only ones who are deterred. Critical coverage of the wines languishes way below that of Bordeaux or Burgundy, meaning the crus of Barolo and Barbaresco are not as well-known as those of the Gironde or the Côte d’Or. And all at a time when the MGA (Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva) classification has hugely expanded the number of such designations, to a mind-boggling 170 in Barolo and 66 in Barbaresco.

When it comes to putting these wines on a pedestal, such drilling down into terroir has both pros and cons. On the one hand, it lends further weight to the importance of site, in a way that is common to all the world’s fine wine regions. On the other hand, it can be alienating for those who don’t know the region well, and have to come to grips with a new hierarchy. Easier, in such circumstances, to stick to what you know. But, says one renowned commentator, you’d be missing out…

Matthew Jukes is one of a handful of critics to specialise in Piedmont, compiling an annual report on the region which now extends to 2,000 wines. He acknowledges that the increased focus on site has made Piedmont a more complex region to get to know – but argues that a similar complexity in the wines makes it worthwhile. ‘Piedmont is indeed a conundrum, but one that I feel is worthy of forensic investigation,’ he argues in a recent article for the ‘Back Label’ newsletter of wine-themed private members’ club 67 Pall Mall. ‘No wine region is more beautiful or gastronomically enticing. For me, it’s the last great wine region on Earth.’

While the likes of top estates such as Gaja have produced their own cru wines for decades, most Piedmont producers have traditionally been happy blending from across the region into generic wines, with the likes of Bartolo Mascarello positively resistant to single-vineyard bottlings. For most people, knowledge of the handful of Barolo and Barbaresco communes was sufficient – and manageable. La Morra, we know, tends to yield more perfumed, elegant wines, with those of Monforte d’Alba generally a little more austere and ferrous, and those of Serralunga, at lower altitude, often more structured and powerful.

Such overarching generalisations play out well at the level of Barolo del Comune wines. It’s a category which Federico Moccia, the head sommelier at 67 Pall Mall, believes is key to furthering appreciation of the region. With former colleague Nelson Pari, under the moniker of The Barolo Boys, Moccia produces an annual report assessing each new vintage, based around these Barolo del Comune wines.

‘We believe that the future of Barolo lies in adopting a Burgundian approach, with an emphasis on village wines,’ says Moccia. In their assessment of the newly released – and widely acclaimed – 2021 vintage, Moccia and Pari pick out Monforte d’Alba as the standout commune, highlighting the wines’ alluring aromas, texture, drinkability and ageing potential. But they are also big fans of the ’21 Serralunga d’Albas – ‘a guarantee of quality for Barolo del Comune lovers’. Their top pick from the commune was the wine of Ettore Germano, which ‘captures the purity and complexity of Serralunga’ via ‘trademark precision, vibrancy and depth’.

While recognising typicity within generic commune wines is one thing, getting to know individual crus is quite another. Barolo introduced the MGAs classification in 2010 (Barbaresco having done so in 2007), allowing producers to name an individual subsection of the commune from which the wine comes from, in a version of Burgundy’s cru system. Unlike Burgundy, though, such sites aren’t graded, and hence are not necessarily a guarantee of quality – there are no premiers or grands crus, for instance. That’s where knowledge of some individual sites can be hugely valuable.

The likes of Bussia, Cannubi and Brico Rocche in Barolo, and Rabajá, Bernadot and Serraboella in Barbaresco tend to be among the more consistently excellent sites. Bussia, one of the largest MGAs in Barolo, within the Monforte commune, was already well reputed as a consequence of the wines made by the likes of Prunotto and Aldo Conterno. More recently, wines such as Amalia’s 2020 Vigna Fantini rendering provide the perfect example of its quality.

Similarly, San Rocco in Serralunga is renowned for its ability to produce some of the most serious and structured Barolos, capable of serious ageing – Azelia’s 2020 bottling is a fine choice for squirrelling away for a few years. The same could be said of the wines of Rabajá, a Barbaresco grand cru in all but name which yields wines of incredible complexity, depth and ageabilty (Castello di Verduno being a fine exponent), while Serraboella is perhaps Barbaresco’s best-kept secret, the Paitin 2021 standing as a stellar example.

While acquiring knowledge of such individual sites can be challenging, what’s not in doubt is that their existence shows how the quality of Barolo and Barbaresco wines has risen over the last decade and a half. Jukes says he couldn’t have compiled his report 15 years ago. ‘There simply weren’t enough decent wines.’ The change, he says, has been profound. ‘Piedmont’s winemakers have embraced the absolute notion of place, and come to the conclusion that they’re sitting on hallowed ground.’