Wine Advisor
Giacomo Fenocchio, Barolo Cannubi 2017
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2017 Barolo Cannubi is a very pretty, ethereal Barolo. Crushed flowers, sweet dried red berries, mint, chalk and white pepper are all nicely lifted. This is a decidedly light style, even for Cannubi.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
Showing ripe fruit aromas of cherry confit or dried apricot, the Giacomo Fenocchio 2017 Barolo Cannubi exposes the undeniable imprint of this very hot and dry vintage and coming from a southeast-facing slope at a lowish 280 meters in altitude. The aromas are soft and slightly muddled although we can hold out hope that this Nebbiolo with flesh out with more aging time in the bottle. Approximately 3,000 bottles were released.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
A whole, beautiful wine with ultra-fine tannins that spread across the palate. It’s full-bodied with refined tension and a long, polished finish. Subtle complexity of berries, cedar, walnuts and dried flowers. Try after 2024.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2017 Barolo Cannubi is a very pretty, ethereal Barolo. Crushed flowers, sweet dried red berries, mint, chalk and white pepper are all nicely lifted. This is a decidedly light style, even for Cannubi.
About the Producer
Five generations of Fenocchios have been producing wine from their holdings in Monforte d’Alba since 1894. Most of the production was sold locally up until 1964, when the ambitious and energetic Giacomo Fenocchio took over the estate. In his quest to make the finest wines in all of Barolo, he purchased prime parcels in Cannubi and nearby Castellero, but his focus was always on what he liked to call the heart of the Barolo area, the Bussia. In April of 1989, Giacomo passed away, leaving his young son Claudio to take over all farming and winemaking duties for the estate. As Claudio explains it, it was a challenging time for Barolo. Many producers were pushing a “new way” to make Barolo, and having great commercial success; but Claudio never strayed from the path of tradition. He continued producing his wines with the time honored techniques of the classic style: organic farming, with long fermentations on the skins and aging only in large Slavonian oak casks. Today Claudio’s wines exhibit a level of terroir clarity that is only found in the top echelon of producers. If you’re looking for the next star winemaker in Italy, look no further. In October of 2014, The New York Times rated Fenocchio in second position in a tasting of 2010 Barolos – coming behind only Elio Altare and ahead of Elio Grasso, Massolino, and Vietti. Claudio now manages 14 hectares of vineyards in Barolo, Castiglione Falletto and of course, the Bussia of Monforte. Total average annual production is about 8,000 cases.
