Nebbiolo by Another Name
by Tom Wolf
Nebbiolo by Another Name
by Tom Wolf
In December of last year, the excellent wine blog, “Opening a Bottle,” likened one of our wines to Shohei Ohtani, the 30-year-old Japanese phenom who has changed the game of baseball and might go down as the greatest player of all time. I’ve thought about this comparison nearly every day since, wondering each time I take a sip of red Burgundy, Barolo, or Côte-Rôtie, “Could this also be considered the Shohei Ohtani of wine?”
I finally tasted a worthy contender—or set of contenders—last month while getting to know the reds of our newest Italian grower, Cantine Garrone. For starters, there are surface-level parallels: like Ohtani, who honed his world-class talent outside of the American spotlight, in a place where baseball is known by a different name, the Garrone family crafts Nebbiolo revelations outside of the Barolo zone, in a valley of upper Piemonte where locals call the grape “Prünent.”
The more fundamental likeness, though, is that, like Ohtani, these wines make you reconsider what you previously thought possible—in this case, of the Nebbiolo grape. In the high-elevation Valli Ossolane, once a trading route between Switzerland and Italy, the cooler air and region’s unique toppia vine-training combine to yield Nebbiolo—or Prünent—that is extraordinarily high-toned, silky, and graceful.
The brilliance of these wines is clear from the moment you open the Munaloss, a beautiful introduction to the Garrones’ line-up. Mostly Prünent with a splash of Croatina, it’s so fresh and juicy, with notes of cherries and brambly fruit, that it will probably be the red I drink most this summer. Then you get to their three DOC Valli Ossolane Nebbiolo Superiores—from an appellation the Garrones played a significant role in building over the last several decades. The Superiore is plummy and woodsy, showcasing the most bass of this trio. The Diecibrente and Fornace, meanwhile, take things up a level, soaring with more red fruit and blood orange, all while showing mesmerizing depth and approachability.
No one will ever agree on the greatest baseball player of all time. No matter what absurd statistics Shohei Ohtani ends his career with, for instance, my GOAT will always be Willie Mays. But like all players in that very top tier of talent, the wines of Cantine Garrone will get you out of your seat and make you see Nebbiolo in a whole new way.
Wines In The Collection
Cantine Garrone Italy | Piedmont
Delicious younger-vine Prünent blended with Croatina produces an immediately enjoyable, low-tannin red of character.
Cantine Garrone Italy | Piedmont
The family’s top bottling of Prünent from a single vineyard is aged for an extra year in large cask and has another gear, and many corners and crevices to explore.
Italy | Piedmont
Delicious younger-vine Prünent blended with Croatina produces an immediately enjoyable, low-tannin red of character.
Italy | Piedmont
The family’s top bottling of Prünent from a single vineyard is aged for an extra year in large cask and has another gear, and many corners and crevices to explore.
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