Wine Advisor
Giacomo Fenocchio, Barolo Cannubi 2019
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
The Giacomo Fenocchio 2019 Barolo Cannubi opens to a dark garnet color and suffers from a slightly muted bouquet. I notice this trait across the wines in this portfolio. There are dusty earthy aromas that cede to crushed flowers and dried currant. The tannins are fine and powdery. The wine gives more with time, but it never fully opened. This is a 3,000-bottle release.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Attractive aromas of cherries, orange blossom, nutmeg and bark. Medium-bodied, firm and structured with a red-fruited, slightly watery center palate. Polished and textured with a mineral finish. Try from 2026.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2019 Barolo Cannubi offers a striking combination of energy and depth. All the Cannubi signatures come through in this young but expressive Barolo. Crushed red berry fruit, cinnamon, red cherry and mineral notes race out of the glass. Deceptive in its mid-weight structure, the 2019 packs a pretty serious punch.
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.
