Barolo, Prunotto 2021 75cl
This is Barolo you can actually open without a lengthy negotiation about cellar time. Prunotto's classic 2021 gathers Nebbiolo from across the Barolo zone into a wine that shows the grape's perfume and grip without demanding a decade of patience.
Prunotto has been a fixture in Alba since 1904 and now sits within the Antinori stable, which has sharpened the winemaking without flattening the house character. This bottling is a blend across communes rather than a single cru, which is the point — it delivers the Barolo experience at a sensible entry price. The 2021 vintage gave good ripeness with fresh acidity, a fine year for wines with balance.
Pour it and you get the giveaway pale garnet of Nebbiolo, then a nose of rose petal, red cherry, dried herbs and a lick of tar. The palate is medium-bodied and firmly tannic in the way good Barolo should be, with sour-cherry acidity keeping everything lifted. There's a savoury, autumnal note of leather and truffle building on the finish.
Drinking well now with a decant, and it will reward another five to eight years in the cellar. Around £50 for real Barolo character makes this a smart introduction to the region or a dependable midweek Piedmont pour.
How to Serve
Serve at 16-18°C in a large Burgundy glass. Decant an hour ahead — Nebbiolo tannins soften and the aromatics bloom with air.
Where to Drink It
Bocca di Lupo in Soho for northern Italian plates. Trullo in Highbury, whose beef ragù is built for this. Sartoria on Savile Row for a smarter Piedmontese evening.
Food Pairings
Reach for braised beef or a mushroom risotto; the earthy tannins love slow-cooked meat and umami.
