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Prunotto, Barolo Bussia 2014
RedItaly2014
By Daniel Min · Tasted 2019-12-28 · Published 2026-09-16 · Updated 2026-09-16
At a glance
Two Vivino-listed critic scores, both 91 (logged Apr 2019 and Nov 2019)
Market note: 2014 is remembered as a difficult Piedmont vintage (hail, rain), yet this wine held the same score as the label's all-vintage average (4.2). For reference, the 2019 vintage sold for US$99.99 on wine.com (James Suckling 94, Wine Advocate 92 — for the 2019 vintage, not 2014).
What this wine is
This house began as a 1904 cooperative in Serralunga d'Alba, "Cantina Sociale Ai Vini delle Langhe." It made its first harvest in 1905 but collapsed under the strain of World War I and was liquidated in 1922. Alfredo Prunotto and his wife Luigina bought the failed cooperative's assets and put their own name on it — then started exporting Barolo and Barbaresco to South America and the United States, markets almost no other Italian producer bothered with at the time.
When Alfredo retired in 1956, he sold the house to wine technician Beppe Colla, who — with his brother Tino — began single-vineyard bottling from 1961 on. That push produced what are still Prunotto's flagship crus today: Barolo Bussia and Barbera d'Alba Pian Romualdo. Bussia, straddling Monforte d'Alba, is considered one of the most prestigious crus in all of Barolo.
The Antinori family, distributing Prunotto's wines since 1989, took over production entirely in 1994, and Albiera Antinori later bought and expanded the Bussia vineyard itself. There's no romantic founding legend here like Madame Krug's wartime story — just three changes of ownership (a failed co-op, a technician's buyout, a big house's acquisition) held together for over a century by one vineyard's name: Bussia.
What the world says
The 2014 vintage has 556 Vivino ratings averaging 4.2, and the label as a whole (all vintages) holds 10,644 ratings, also at 4.2 — remarkable given that 2014 was a notoriously difficult Piedmont vintage. Two critic scores are on file, both 91 points.
The flavor keywords lead with red fruit — cherry, strawberry (443 mentions) — narrowly ahead of an earth group of leather, tar and mushroom (420). Tobacco and oak follow (367), then licorice and pepper (136). Structure: acidity at 4.5/5, among the highest of any wine in this magazine, tannin 4.2, and intensity a more modest 3.7 — a classic Nebbiolo that leans on acid and tannin rather than sheer weight.
"Light as a pinot, but complex. Strawberry, smoke, earthy. Violet, rose petal. Bone dry and acidic, perfect balance." — Vivino review, Aug 2019, 4.5 stars
The recommended drinking window is 2022–2034 — meaning I opened mine several years ahead of schedule, in December 2019.
How I drank it
28 December 2019, 4 stars. "Light cherry purple~ beautiful~ Orange, cherry, mineral, leather, raspberry, plum, cassis, rose. A Barolo Nebbiolo that feels like Burgundy Pinot Noir. A bit fuller-bodied than Burgundy — I think I'd like Nebbiolo. Sangiovese and Nebbiolo from Italy are both varieties with wonderful acidity..." That same night I also opened a Casillero del Diablo Devil's Collection Red 2017, and gave it the same 4 stars.
Comparing Nebbiolo to Burgundian Pinot Noir wasn't a random impression. Vivino's structure data shows this wine's intensity sits at a middling 3.7/5 while its acidity spikes to 4.5/5 — pale color, searing acid, and tannin (4.2/5) doing the structural work, which lines up exactly with the "light yet full-bodied" impression I wrote down that night. My 4 stars sits 0.2 below the community average of 4.2, not a big gap, but what's interesting is that my note's "fuller-bodied" impression outran the actual intensity number (3.7) — which suggests the acid and tannin simply loomed larger in memory than the wine's actual weight.
Vivino community data
2014 vintage rating distribution (556 ratings, average 4.2)
| 5★ | 89 (16%) | |
| 4★ | 382 (69%) | |
| 3★ | 75 (13%) | |
| 2★ | 4 (1%) | |
| 1★ | 6 (1%) |
Most-mentioned aromas
| Family | Mentions | Top keywords |
|---|---|---|
| Red fruit | 443 | cherry 192 · strawberry 82 · raspberry 56 · red fruit 44 · red cherry 16 |
| Earth & leather | 420 | leather 154 · tar 76 · earthy 67 · mushroom 33 · smoke 21 |
| Oak | 367 | tobacco 114 · oak 95 · chocolate 45 · vanilla 36 · coffee 13 |
| Spice | 136 | licorice 37 · pepper 30 · mint 14 · anise 10 · cinnamon 8 |
| Black fruit | 125 | plum 55 · blackberry 19 · black cherry 11 · black fruit 11 · dark fruit 9 |
| Floral | 82 | violet 30 · rose petal 22 · perfume 9 · dried rose 7 · dried flowers 4 |
| Dried fruit | 48 | raisin 16 · prune 13 · fig 10 · dried fruit 6 · dried cranberry 2 |
Structure: Acidity 4.5/5 · Intensity 3.7/5 · Tannin 4.2/5 · Sweetness 1.6/5
Average by vintage (all vintages: 10644 ratings, average 4.2)
| Vintage | Average | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 4.0 | 53 |
| 1989 | 4.3 | 35 |
| 1990 | 4.2 | 53 |
| 1993 | 4.2 | 34 |
| 1994 | 4.0 | 30 |
| 1995 | 4.3 | 92 |
| 1996 | 4.2 | 115 |
| 1997 | 4.3 | 128 |
| 1998 | 4.1 | 127 |
| 1999 | 4.4 | 148 |
| 2000 | 4.4 | 105 |
| 2001 | 4.0 | 80 |
| 2003 | 4.3 | 53 |
| 2004 | 4.1 | 260 |
| 2005 | 4.1 | 739 |
| 2006 | 4.2 | 503 |
| 2007 | 4.2 | 362 |
| 2008 | 4.1 | 787 |
| 2009 | 4.1 | 642 |
| 2010 | 4.2 | 382 |
| 2011 | 4.1 | 536 |
| 2012 | 4.1 | 444 |
| 2013 | 4.1 | 504 |
| 2014 | 4.2 | 556 |
| 2015 | 4.3 | 431 |
| 2016 | 4.3 | 1016 |
| 2017 | 4.3 | 623 |
| 2018 | 4.1 | 532 |
| 2019 | 4.2 | 418 |
| 2020 | 4.2 | 340 |
| 2021 | 4.2 | 83 |
My original note (Vivino, 2019-12-28)
“Light cherry purple~ beautiful~ Orange, cherry, mineral, leather, raspberry, plum, cassis, rose. 부르고뉴의 피노누아같은 느낌이 드는 바롤로 네비올로. 부르고뉴보다 좀 더 풀바디, 네비올로 좋아할 것 같다. 이태리의 산조베제랑 네비올로는 산도로는 너무 좋은 품종들...”
Frequently asked questions
What kind of wine is Prunotto Barolo Bussia 2014?
A single-vineyard, 100% Nebbiolo Barolo from the Bussia cru, made by Prunotto (owned by the Antinori family) in Piedmont's Barolo zone. Vivino: 556 ratings averaging 4.2; both listed critic scores are 91. Recommended drinking window: 2022–2034.
How much does it cost?
World average price: US$69 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, Sept 2026) (Wine-Searcher, to be confirmed). For reference, the 2019 vintage sold for US$99.99 on wine.com (checked Sept 2026).
What food pairs well with it?
Vivino users suggest beef, lamb, pasta and game (venison). With tannin at 4.2/5, it holds up well against rich red meat.
Why did it remind me of Burgundy Pinot Noir?
Vivino's structure data shows a middling intensity of 3.7/5 against a very high acidity of 4.5/5 — the pale color and pronounced acid typical of Nebbiolo can evoke the delicacy of Pinot Noir, even though the tannin (4.2/5) is far firmer.