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2022 Valli Ossolane Nebbiolo Superiore “Prünent Vigna Fornace”
Cantine Garrone
This new red from northernmost Italy may not come with a DOCG as well known or prestigious as the Barolo on this page, but it is every bit as serious and impressive a wine. In the sliver of upper Piemonte that’s just a stone’s throw from the Swiss border, Nebbiolo is known as Prünent, and the Garrone family farms it in the region’s distinctive toppia system, wherein vines are trained on massive stone and wooden pergolas to ensure slow ripening and as much protection from the elements as possible. La Fornace faces southeast, so the Garrones’ first vintage from the historic site shows plenty of age-worthy structure, density, and ripe notes of cherry, plum, and leather. A total knock-out and only a few cases left!
—Tom Wolf
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2022 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Prünent (Nebbiolo) |
Appellation: | Valli Ossolane |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Piedmont |
Producer: | Cantine Garrone |
Winemaker: | Piermario, Roberto, Marco and Matteo Garrone |
Vineyard: | Planted in 2016; .35 ha |
Soil: | Sandy loam, gneiss |
Aging: | Aged for 18 months in 11HL Slavonian oak barrels |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
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About The Producer
Cantine Garrone
Cantine Garrone was founded in 1921 by Luigi Garrone in Piemonte’s northernmost wine appellation, Val d’Ossola. Even now, this is one of the most wild and inaccessible parts of Piemonte, where many of the vines cling to mountainsides at incredibly steep inclines. Today, Luigi’s grandsons, Piermario and Roberto, run the winery alongside Roberto’s two sons, Marco and Matteo. The family has made it their life’s purpose to preserve and elevate the wines of Val d’Ossola, focusing in particular on Prünent, commonly understood to be the oldest existing clone of Nebbiolo. In the 1990s, they launched an effort to assist local farmers who were struggling to produce enough grapes for any viable commercial activity. They work with more than forty growers to combine their efforts and as a result, have saved the local winemaking tradition from certain extinction. In total, the family owns 3.5 hectares of vineyard and manages another 7.5 through this community of forty growers.
About The Region
Piedmont
Kermit’s love affair with the great reds of Piemonte dates back to the early days of his career: the very first container he imported from Italy, in fact, featured legendary 1971 and 1974 Barolos from Vietti and Aldo Conterno. Regular visits since then have seen our portfolio grow to now twelve Piemontesi estates, with a strong focus on the rolling hills of the Langhe.
Nebbiolo rules these majestic, vine-covered marl slopes, giving Italy’s most mystifyingly complex, nuanced, and age-worthy reds. When crafted via traditional production methods—long macerations and extensive aging in enormous oak botti—the powerful, yet incredibly refined Barolos and Barbarescos provide haunting aromatics of tar, raspberry, incense, tea, roses, and more. At times austere in their youth but well worth the wait, they pair beautifully with the hearty local cuisine starring veal in many forms, braised beef, pastas like tajarin and agnolotti, and of course, Alba’s famous white truffles.
Surrounded by mountains on three sides, Piemonte’s climate is continental, with baking hot summers and cold winters. Nebbiolo is only part of the story here: juicy, fruity Barberas and Dolcettos represent the bread and butter throughout the region, and other native grapes like Freisa, Croatina, and the white Arneis are also noteworthy. Value abounds in the Monferrato, while Alto Piemonte also has its share of thrills to provide.
Every corner of Piemonte is rich with tradition, especially when wine is concerned. It’s no wonder we have been singing the region’s praises for over forty years.
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Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
A good doctor prescribed the wine of Nuits-Saint-Georges to the Sun King, Louis XIV, when he suffered an unknown maladie. When the king’s health was restored the tasty remedy enjoyed a vogue at court. Lord, send me a doctor like that!
Inspiring Thirst, page 117