Arneis
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed fresh and young, within 1 to 3 years of the vintage release, when its vibrant fruit and floral characteristics are at their peak.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Light antipasti, grilled white fish, and fresh goat cheese.
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the sun-drenched, sandy hills of the Roero district in Piedmont, Prunotto's Arneis is a beautiful expression of a grape that was nearly lost to history. In the local Piedmontese dialect, Arneis translates to 'little rascal,' a nod to its notoriously difficult and finicky nature in the vineyard. Historically, grape growers would plant this aromatic white grape next to Nebbiolo vines to draw hungry birds away from the more valuable red grapes, or blend it to soften Nebbiolo's fierce tannins—earning it the nickname 'Barolo Bianco.' Prunotto, a historic estate with roots dating back to the early 20th century, crafts this wine using gentle pressing and temperature-controlled stainless steel fermentation. This meticulous process preserves the grape's signature aromas of white flowers, fresh pear, and apricot, supported by a distinct mineral backbone derived from the region's ancient, marine-fossil-rich soils.
🍾 About the Producer
Prunotto traces its origins to 1904 when the cooperative Cantina Sociale 'Ai Vini delle Langhe' was established in Serralunga d'Alba, later rescued and rechristened by Alfredo Prunotto in the 1920s. Under legendary winemaker Beppe Colla from 1956, the estate emerged as a pioneer of single-vineyard bottlings in Piedmont, famously producing the benchmark Barolo Bussia beginning with the 1961 vintage. Owned by Tuscany's Marchesi Antinori family since 1994, Prunotto stewards approximately 65 hectares across prime sites in the Langhe and Monferrato. Viticulture leverages the region's classic mosaic of calcareous clay and Tortonian marl, capturing distinctive diurnal shifts and microclimatic nuance. In the cellar, vinification balances traditional large-format cask maturation with refined contemporary precision. Prunotto's expansive portfolio is anchored by celebrated cru bottlings such as Barolo Bussia Vigna Colonnello Riserva, Barbaresco Bric Turot, and Nizza Riserva Costamiòle, complemented by classical regional expressions of Arneis, Barbera d'Alba, and Moscato d'Asti.