As prices and demand have started to soar for the finest wines of Barolo and Barbaresco, lovers of Piedmont's most famous grape, Nebbiolo, have increasingly looked to the surrounding regions for an alternative source of remarkable quality and value.

Among the regions that are fastest gaining renown as terroir-focussed areas on the up is the Valli Ossolane in Alto Piemonte. One of the most recent appellations to be granted DOC status, Ossolane was only formalised in 2009 but the region's roots are much older, with many vines over 100 years old.

One producer working from some of the best vines in the Ossola Valley is Cantine Garrone. A family-run winery operating on a tiny scale with just one hectare of estate vines, they produce just over 1,000 cases of their Nebbiolo Superiore Prünent 2018 that we have to offer today.

Garrone’s wines are aromatic, elegant, and expressive – an absolute joy for any fans of Alto-Piedmont Nebbiolo. In essence, they are high-altitude wines at their best.

Prünent is the local bio-type of the Nebbiolo vine; likely the oldest strain of Nebbiolo and the progenitor of the finest vines in Barolo and Barbaresco. As such, it is uniquely suited to the lofty vineyards which Nebbiolo has for so long called home.

Although the 2018 is yet to be scored, Vinous's Antonio Galloni, when reviewing last year's 2017 release, described it as 'a gorgeous, detailed mind-bending wine' that 'offers all the weightless silkiness of Alto Piemonte wines, but with enough flesh to give the wine racy curves and tons of immediate appeal.'

With the Langhe and Tuscany facing increasing warmer temperatures due to climate change, wines from regions, such as Alto Piemonte, are surely the future of Italian fine wine and whilst small-scale operations like Garrone are destined for greatness. Their wines are already proof of the estate's intrinsic quality, and the price-tag of this new release is incredibly reasonable.

At just £125 IB per case, this 2018 follows on from a superb 94-point effort in 2017. While it is yet to be scored, we expect a similar, if not even stronger, showing when it finally is.