La Spinetta, which means top of the hill, was founded in 1977 by Guiseppe and Lidia Rivetti.

Today they are truly among the finest producers of wine in the Piedmont region of Italy.

They say that 90 per cent of their work is in their vineyards and just 10 per cent in their cellar.

They prefer to make only wines that are typical of the area and therefore work with the indigenous barbera, nebbiolo and dolcetto.

They believe that one of the prerequisites for quality is keeping yields low and so, up to three times in the summer, they conduct green harvests.

This is where unripe bunches are removed in order to reduce quantities and maximise quality.

This takes great skill as future weather conditions and particular characteristics of the vintage have to be considered.

The Rivetti family do not use chemical products, fertilisers or pesticides and 75 per cent of their land is worked according to biodynamic principles.

All of their grapes are hand-picked and placed in small bins for transport to the winery. This size container avoids crushing, due to the weight of the fruit, and prevents harmful air getting to the juice.

The first question you may ask when you see a La Spinetta label is: why the rhino?

The simple answer is that Guiseppe Rivetti has always been a great admirer of German artist Albrecht Durer. A woodcut of his is based on an Indian rhinoceros that arrived in Lisbon in 1515 as a gift to the king and for 300 years European illustrators borrowed from this depiction. It is said that the king arranged for a fight with an elephant but the pachyderm turned and fled.

La Spinetta Barbera d’asti Ca di Pian 2010 is our top-selling wine from this winery.

It is made from barbera vines that are 27 to 32 years old, that grow on calcareous soils and are aged in new and used French medium-toasted barrels. It is drinking beautifully now, with scents reminiscent of blueberries, maraschino cherries, violets, plums and sandalwood. For the cellar, it has about a 15-year life. $33.85

La Spinetta Nebbiolo 2012 is bottled three years after the harvest with no filtration or clarifying and it has aromas of strawberries, tobacco and wild herbs.

It is aromatic with a good grip and firm acidity. There is elegance in this wine that is made from the same grape used for the more famous barolo. $32.45

La Spinetta “Garretti” Barolo 2010 happens to be a great wine from a top vintage and a small, 5.8-acre-vineyard called Garretti. Only 580 cases were made. James Suckling rated it 95/100 and Antonio Galloni 94/100. Crushed flowers, mint, cherry and orange peel intermix with a medicinal component that is herbal in nature.

A few years ago some of the growers in Barolo tried to have the laws changed to allow some merlot to be added to the nebbiolo to soften it and allow it to be enjoyed at a younger age. Fortunately, this was not accepted and so it is still the big, hearty wine that just takes patience on our part as it evolves. $59.80.

La Spinetta Barbaresco Riserva “Starderi” 2004 is made from nebbiolo that grows on vines that are 45 to 60 years old; it rated 95/100 with Parker.

One might ask what is the difference between barbaresco and barolo as they are both made from the nebbiolo grape and the areas are close to each other.

The soils of Barbaresco are a little richer, and this causes the tannins to be less aggressive and the wine to be a little softer.

The Starderi 2004 delivers a touch of tar that is the noticeable hint of these wines, but also has huge intensity and beauty that, like this wine, is supersized.

It is just ready to enjoy now in 2016 but will last until 3035. $165.25.

• This column is a paid-for advertorial for Burrows Lightbourn Ltd. Michael Robinson is Director of Wine at Burrows Lightbourn Ltd. He can be contacted at mrobinson@bll.bm or 295-0176. Burrows Lightbourn has stores in Hamilton (Front Street East, 295-1554), Paget (Harbour Road, 236-0355) and St George’s (York Street, 297-0409). A selection of their wines, beers and spirits is available online at www.wineonline.bm