Prunotto stands for one of the early vintages of this characterful Barbera from Agliano Terme with the 1997 Barbera d’Asti Costamiòle. The grapes originate from the historic Costamiòle vineyard in the Nizza zone, whose southern to southwestern exposure and warm, silty-loamy marl soils create ideal conditions for concentrated Barbera. For Costamiòle, grapes from the older vines in the upper part of the vineyard were selected, which is why the wine possessed a special density and aromatic intensity even in its early history.  

The 1997 vintage today displays a distinctly mature, yet still vibrant fruit. The bouquet combines dark cherry, plum, and blackberry with violet, cinnamon, and cocoa; as it breathes, notes of leather, tobacco, and balsamic spice emerge. The long bottle aging has transformed the former fruit concentration into a more complex aromatic profile, while the freshness typical of Barbera remains. Contemporary tasting notes also highlighted the dark fruit and stony minerality of this vintage.  

On the palate, the 1997 Barbera d’Asti Costamiòle shows a dense, supple texture with plenty of ripe fruit and pronounced acidity. It is precisely this acidity that provides tension to the warm, concentrated vintage and prevents the dark fruit from feeling heavy. Fine-grained, now well-matured tannins combine with cocoa, licorice, and spicy wood notes, while cherry, plum, and a subtle mineral bitterness linger in the long finish. Aging in small oak barrels supports the spicy depth without completely masking the varietal characteristics of the Barbera.

The original power and fruit richness have developed with bottle aging into a supple combination of dark fruit, spice, and balsamic complexity. For an almost thirty-year-old Barbera, it possesses remarkable tension and impressively demonstrates the aging potential of the historic Costamiòle site.