An ex-champion snowboarder of Polish heritage, Olek Bondonio is somewhat of a wildcard entry to the viticultural scene of Italy's famed Piedmont region. Bondonio began his foray into wine when he started tending to the vines on his family's property, studying the intricacies of each site before undertaking his first vintage in 2005. A staunch believer of minimal chemical input in both the vineyard and winery, Bondonio has quickly established a reputation as a producer to keep an eye out for, and it's not difficult to see why.

The 2018 Roncagliette Barbaresco is a perfumed and energetic wine, with rustic edges that speak to Bondonio's unbridled winemaking style. Coming from a plot grown in Olek's front yard, which was planted by his family 50 years ago, the fruit is hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented and macerated on the skins for two months in concrete before being pressed off to old botti to mature for a couple of years. It's concentrated, powerful, and extraordinarily complex, with notes of fleshy cherries, mint, tilled earth, new leather, and dried spice. The tannins are firm and assertive, though still very approachable in their youth.