Prunotto Bussia Barolo, Piedmont (2021)
When Prunotto bottled its 1961 Bussia, single-vineyard Barolo barely existed as an idea - it arrived the same year as Vietti's Rocche di Castiglione, the two of them among the first crus the region ever named on a label. The fruit comes from the great amphitheatre-shaped vineyard above Monforte d'Alba, where varied south to south-west exposures give the Nebbiolo both ripeness and lift.
The approach is deliberately classical. Grapes are sorted, destemmed and macerated on the skins for eight to ten days, and the wine then ages at least eighteen months in large oak casks of varying size rather than small new barrels - the method that lets the site, not the wood, set the tone.
The result is unmistakably Barolo: garnet red with ruby light through it, rose and violet over blood orange and plum, a turn of pepper and cinnamon, and a palate that is intense and juicy without ever feeling heavy. Serve at 16-18°C, ideally from a large bowl.
The 2021 Vintage
The Fulham Wine Co Take
Prunotto
