Prunotto | Antinori

Fiulot – simply "the boy" in the Piedmontese dialect. A name that says it all: no heaviness, no complexity at any price, but the undisguised energy of a wine that is allowed to remain entirely with its fruit. 100% Barbera from the Astigiano – hills with clayier, moister soil than the sites around Alba, ideal for this lively, aromatically open style. Maceration of five to seven days at 28°C, malolactic fermentation before winter, then stainless steel until bottling in spring.

Moscato Bianco di Canelli – the most aromatic variety of Muscat, at home in the hills of Astigiano for centuries. Prunotto, one of the most reliable addresses in the Langhe since 1904, presses a wine from it that makes no compromises: only fruit, only flavour, only freshness. Hand-picked from 4 to 16 September 2025, the grapes are pressed and initially spend a short time in the press – enough time for the flavours from the skins to pass into the "mosto fiore". Stainless steel tanks, controlled fermentation down to 5.0% alcohol, then fermentation interrupted by cooling. No wood, no detours – the wine remains entirely its own.

Dolcetto is the third voice in the Piedmontese trio – after Nebbiolo and Barbera, the most accessible, the most immediate. No grand gestures, no long maturation periods. Instead: flavour, fruit, liveliness. Prunotto specifically captures these characteristics – the wine is matured exclusively in stainless steel tanks so as not to overpower the typical freshness and fruitiness of the variety. 100% Dolcetto from vineyards around Alba. Maceration for six days at a controlled 27–28°C, malolactic fermentation until mid-December – then steel, nothing more.

Barbera is the heart of everyday life in Piedmont – but anyone who knows it knows that everyday life can be demanding. Prunotto harvests it from clay and sandy soils around Alba, lets several vineyards grow together in spring and consistently does without wood. The variety should speak, not be moulded. 2024 was a wet, labour-intensive vintage. Consistent thinning out in the vineyard ensured the concentration – and the freshness that makes this Barbera so lively. Harvest at the end of September to the beginning of October, five to seven days of maceration at 28–30°C, malolactic fermentation until mid-December, then stainless steel.

Calliano, Basso Monferrato. Three hundred metres above the gentle hills of Monferrato lies the single vineyard that gives this wine its name – and its character. Calcareous, clayey soils with veins of sand, an assemblage that is not a matter of course in Piedmont: 60% Barbera, 40% Syrah. Two grape varieties that could hardly be more different – one indigenous and acidic, the other a Rhône traveller with tannin structure and spice. Prunotto ferments the two separately, only allowing them to grow together after malolactic fermentation.

White postcard from the Langhe: gentle hills, morning breezes – and Arneis in its purest form. Arveja comes from selected, higher-lying parcels around Alba; the harvest is cool and selective, and the ageing is deliberately focussed on freshness and clarity. Pale straw yellow in the glass with a greenish tinge. Open bouquet of white flowers, green apple skin, juicy pear with a hint of citrus zest, underneath a fine, stony-mineral tone. Straightforward, juicy on the palate, with lively acidity and a delicate creaminess in the flow. The fruit remains cool and precise, with a small almondy accent for a Piedmontese wink. The final is long and salty-fresh. An uncomplicated, elegant Arneis with a confident drinking pleasure – perfect as an aperitif, with antipasti, vitello tonnato or simply with a good piece of grilled trout. SUPERIORE.DE

Nizza is a small municipality in Monferrato that has given Barbera its highest level. Only elevated to an independent DOCG in 2019, Nizza epitomises what Barbera can achieve when the terroir and craftsmanship are right: Depth, structure, length. Soils with fine veins of lime and sand, which inscribe the flavour and freshness of the variety into the fruit. Prunotto vinifies the Bansella with six days of maceration at 28°C, completing the malolactic before winter – followed by twelve months in second and third passage barriques. Wood as a silent reserve, not as a commentary.

The grapes come from high slopes near Monforte d'Alba from the historic Pian Romualdo parcel. Soils characterised by limestone and marl with sandy veins, noticeable day-night amplitudes and strict yield limits provide concentrated, pure harvest. The year 2022 passed without any notable restrictions: a warm, dry summer with reduced yields, followed by beneficial rainfall and cool nights in autumn. This resulted in ripe phenolics, dense fruit and a clear, supporting acidity that high-altitude sites preserve particularly well.

The grapes for Prunotto's highly attractive Barbaresco come from long-standing contract plots in Treiso and Neive. The grapes are harvested selectively by hand, the lots are destemmed separately and fermented in stainless steel; the maceration time is around eight days at controlled temperatures. Malolactic fermentation is completed before winter. The wine matures for around a year in large oak barrels of various sizes – deliberately designed for balance, texture and expression of origin.

Prunotto's Barolo is a very beautiful, ethereal wine. Rose petals, spices, blood orange, mint and crushed red berry fruit keep it firmly grounded. On the palate, it is saturated and rich with dark flavours that are firmly connected to spices, liquorice and crushed blue flowers. There is power and richness deep within this wine, the well-proportioned tannin is fresh and firm, giving it energy and drive. SUPERIORE.DE

A historic Barolo from the estate (first produced in 1905!), composed from Nebbiolo parcels in the heart of the appellation. The grapes are selectively harvested by hand, the lots are carefully destemmed and fermented; maceration takes around eight days at moderate temperatures and malolactic fermentation is completed before the onset of winter. The wine then matures for at least 18 months in large oak barrels of various sizes – an ageing process that preserves balance, transparency and expression of origin. The 2021 vintage began with a mild winter and abundant rainfall, which created valuable water reserves. A light frost in mid-April reduced the yields, but without affecting the quality. This was followed by a long, stable summer without heat peaks; scattered thunderstorms in June/July and pronounced day/night amplitudes during the ripening phase ensured a precise harvest from 6 to 15 October. The grapes achieved excellent phenolic ripeness with bright acidity.

It was Domizio Cavazza, director of the Royal School of Viticulture in Alba, who gave Barbaresco its name and its claim to fame in 1894. A wine that was to stand up to the more powerful Barolo – finer, accessible earlier, but no less complex. More than a century later, the roles are clearly divided: Barbaresco stands for the elegant side of Nebbiolo, for finesse instead of power, for fragrance instead of darkness. Prunotto has found his answer to this appellation in a single vineyard: Bric Turot. Five hectares at around 200 metres, with an exposure from south-west to south-east, which gives the hill the shape of a natural amphitheatre. The soil – tortonian limestone and marl with veins of sand, rich in magnesium and manganese – is the same foundation on which Gajas Sorì Tildin stands just a few metres away. Not bad terrain then.

The grapes come from the historic MGA Bussia in Monforte d'Alba – steep, well-ventilated slopes between 300 and 450 metres, characterised by calcareous marl with clay veins and sandy inclusions. The year 2020 brought a stable summer without extreme peaks, clear nights during the ripening phase and a calm, dry autumn allowed for a late, precise harvest. The result is healthy, fully ripe phenolic grapes with bright fruit and balanced acidity – the ideal basis for a transparent yet powerful Barolo.

1961: Beppe Colla makes a decision that will set a precedent in the history of Barolo: no more blends from different vineyards, but a wine from a single vineyard – bussia. An amphitheatre in Monforte d'Alba, seven hectares, at around 350 metres, exposed from south-west to south. Soils of limestone, marl, the famous "Marne di Sant'Agata Fossili". Terroir that gives the Nebbiolo strength without taking away its soul. 2021 was the year that the classic needs: a snowy winter with a good water supply, a long, temperate summer without heat peaks, strong temperature fluctuations in autumn. The light frosts in April reduced the yield – and concentrated what remained. Harvest from 29 September to 13 October, in perfect condition. Destemming in the cellar, maceration for 8 to 10 days at a maximum temperature of 30°C, malolactic fermentation before winter. Then 18 months in large oak barrels of various capacities – traditional, unobtrusive, serving.

Five hectares at around 200 metres above sea level. Tortonian soils of limestone, marl and sand, rich in magnesium and manganese. A south-west to south-east exposure that gives the Bric Turot its amphitheatrical shape – and the Nebbiolo all directions at the same time. 2019 was not a favourable vintage. A mild winter caused the vegetation to awaken early – then damp, cold weather from April to the end of May slowed down flowering, reduced fruit set and limited yields from the outset. The summer brought warmth and drought, interrupted by rainfall from mid-July. August with cool nights, September rains, then clarity and slow, patient ripening until well into October. Harvest from 12 to 19 October. A year that Nebbiolo has worked hard for.