If you are a person who loves to obtain “first editions” of things, today’s wine is for you. The same goes for anyone who loves impeccably made, traditionally styled Barolo that will offer thrills and chills over decades. Between those two groups, I think newly minted Barolista Luigi Vico has things well-covered. To look at the label of today’s mind-expanding 2016, you might think the Vico family has been producing wine commercially for hundreds of years. In fact, generations of Vicos grew grapes in their well-placed vineyards and sold them to others; the family name never appeared on a label until 2016.

Luigi Vico, a native son of Barolo who had long ago left agriculture behind for a life in Turin, felt like the time had come to reconnect with his roots in the village of Serralunga d’Alba. Vineyards he had once helped his grandparents maintain during summers off from school were nearing the end of long-term rental contracts, meaning that he could re-take control of these family heirlooms and make a wine bearing the Vico name. With the help of a talented Serralunga neighbor—Davide Rosso, of the famed Giovanni Rosso winery—he did just that. So, no, this is no ordinary debut. I’d say that Vico absolutely nailed it, starting with the throwback label and continuing with the pitch-perfect Nebbiolo inside. Give the assist to Rosso, one of the region’s modern-era greats, but whatever you do, get your hands on some of this. It’s a thriller in every way!

Barolo drinkers know very well that there isn’t a lot of “newness” in this small and storied wine region. For the most part, the same families have remained in the same places since before wines came in bottles with labels. When a new label does appear on the scene, it usually has a backstory like that of Vico’s: long-established vignaioli (vine-growers) decide to keep some of their prized fruit for themselves. To “put their name on the door,” so to speak. But again, it’s not like they’re starting from zero: We’re talking about beautifully positioned Nebbiolo vines in the heart of one of the world’s most legendary winemaking villages. There are no guarantees in life, but this is about as close as it gets.

Today’s 2016 is an example of the village-specific labeling that is now allowed under Barolo DOCG law: It is labeled “Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d’Alba,” which is akin to seeing a village name like “Gevrey-Chambertin” on a bottle of red Burgundy. Overall, the Vico family holdings extend over roughly five acres of land in three vineyards: “Prapò” (one of Serralunga’s most famous crus), “Meriame,” and “Prato Done.” Although it doesn’t carry a vineyard designation, today’s wine hails entirely from the “Meriame” vineyard, a west-facing site in Serralunga first purchased by the Vicos in 1920. Farming is Certified Organic, and, in an effort to maintain biodiversity, Vico has kept fruit trees planted at the end of each vine row—a nod to the land’s prior use as an orchard.

This 2016 was vinified under the watchful eye of Davide Rosso, at the Rosso winery. The style is resolutely traditional: De-stemmed fruit from 30+-year-old vines was macerated on skins for an extended period during fermentation, after which the wine is aged in 15-hectoliter Slavonian oak botti before bottling. It is a firm, fine style, not as burly as some Serralunga wines but plenty structured for extended aging. It’s a deep garnet-red in the glass and sends up a perfumed blast of woodsy aromas from the glass: black and red raspberries, dried cherry, cranberry, red currant, blood orange, leather, wild herbs, and a full dose of textbook “tar and roses” savor. It is full-bodied and firmly tannic—a wine clearly built for 10-20 years of aging—so if you are enjoying a bottle now, be sure to give it a good hour of air before serving at 60-65 degrees in large Burgundy stems. Food, too, is a necessity if you’re pulling the cork on this soon: This is the kind of wine they invented Brasato al Barolo for, so look no further than the attached recipe. Luigi Vico nailed it, plain and simple—don’t miss your chance to be an early adopter! Cheers!