Prunotto Barolo 2021

This structured and 'aristocratic' red wine originates from Italy, within the esteemed Barolo D.O.C.G. appellation of Piedmont's Langhe district. Prunotto, a historic estate dating back to 1904, has been managed under the stewardship of the renowned Antinori family since 1989. Combining century-old Langhe winemaking traditions with refined precision, Prunotto focuses on preserving varietal authenticity and showcasing the nuanced terroirs of Piedmont. Sourced from choice vineyard plots across key Barolo communes including Monforte d'Alba, Serralunga d'Alba, and Castiglione Falletto the vines are rooted in ancient Helvetian and Tortonian soils composed of calcareous clay, marl, and sandstone. The region's cool continental climate, characterized by warm autumn days and crisp fog-laden nights (nebbia), allows the Nebbiolo grapes to ripen slowly, developing intense aromatic complexity and a formidable tannic architecture.

Wine Description

The 2021 Prunotto Barolo presents a luminous, pale garnet-ruby color in the glass with light orange and brick reflections along the rim. Its sensory profile is exceptionally fresh, high-toned, and complex, delivering a quintessential, textbook expression of classic Langhe Nebbiolo. The bouquet opens with a captivating, multi-faceted display of dried red roses, wild sour cherries, and tart cranberries, seamlessly layered with complex underlays of sweet tobacco leaf, leather, anise, crushed limestone, and a signature line of tar, licorice, and forest floor. On the palate, the wine is medium-to-full-bodied, taut, and precisely focused, showcasing a bright core of red stone fruits, blood orange peel, and dried spices. It is characterized by its outstanding inner energy and an incisive, mouthwatering backbone of natural acidity that cuts through the mid-palate density. The mouthfeel is linear and athletic, framed by firm, fine-grained, and chalky Nebbiolo tannins that carry into an extraordinarily long, dry, and savory finish accented by lingering notes of iron, dried herbs, and earth.

This high-definition regional expression is 100% Nebbiolo, hand-harvested at optimal physiological ripeness. The grapes underwent careful destemming and crushing followed by temperature-controlled skin contact and fermentation in stainless steel tanks for approximately 8 to 12 days. To polish its firm Nebbiolo tannins while honoring pure varietal expression, the wine completed malolactic conversion and was matured for approximately 18 to 24 months in large, traditional French and Slavonian oak casks (botti grandi), followed by additional bottle aging prior to release. It reaches an effortlessly balanced alcohol content (ABV) of 14.0% to 14.5% and is finished bone-dry.