Prunotto Wine Dinner

23 Mar 2011: Bert and Hester invited us to a Prunotto wine dinner at La Piola, a Piemontese bar and restaurant that opened recently in Central. Prunotto is located in Alba, between Barolo and Barbaresco.  In 1989, the Antinori family began its collaboration with the Prunotto Cellars and later in 1994 became much more involved in the production.  One of the key objectives was to produce wine from own grapes and own vineyards, and to highlight those individual crus. 

The tasting was very well-organised and well represented by the winery and a representative from Antinori, the Asian brand ambassador. We started with the 2008 Dolcetto d’Alba, followed by 2007 Barbera d’Asti, 2006 Barbaresco and 2006 Barolo. Every wine showed extremely well and very true to its typical characteristics. The Dolcetto was a delightfully easy-drinking wine, with bright fruit, minimal acidity and some soft ripe tannin. The Barbera formed a nice contrast, with refreshing acidity and very little tannin, and married extremely well with the stewed bell peppers in a garlic and anchovy sauce, and equally well with the eggplant flan with Fontina cheese, as the acidity cut through the fluffy and creamy flan. I actually did not think the Barbaresco with its still young and unintegrated tannin was a good match for the pasta, which was a lovely homemade tajarin (very thin and eggy linguine) with artichokes and Castelmagno cheese. So I rather saved the Barbaresco for a side by side comparison with the Barolo. Although the medium-bodied Barbaresco with herbal, liquorice and tarry character had a more immediate appeal because of the more forward ripe black fruit and ripe but firm tannin, the subtle power and concentration of the Barolo eventually came through and there was no question of it being the superior wine. I adored the blackberry, floral, truffle, earth and mineral character of the Barolo with its smoother tannin, elegance and finesse. Then we were treated to a special pouring of 2005 Prunotto Bussia, from the single vineyard. There was the concentration, intensity and structure of a beautifully crafted Barolo, full of floral, black cherry, liquorice and tar. The best wine of the evening. To wind down from these big Nebbiolo beauties, we had a glass of the estate’s Moscato d’Asti, so refreshing, grapey and floral! Delicious, though it was hardly the right thing to match with the rather alcoholic chocolate flan, called Bonnet!
All in all, a very educational and enjoyable evening and thank you to Bert and Hester!  And we shall be returning to La Piola for another dinner soon!  I really liked the unpretentious setting and friendly service - besides the owner is from Piemonte - so it would be the ideal place for another Piemontese evening!