2018 Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo, Piedmont, Italy
ABOUT THIS WINE
A Barolo with a strong sense of place from a single parcel. Dark ruby color with lively highlights. It has an intense, ethereal nose with dark cherry, licorice, withered rose, and a complex array of earth and spice aromas. The palate is firm and the finish is dry with noticeable tannin. From a single, 1-hectare parcel facing east in Monforte d'Alba, these younger vines represent exceptional value from just outside the Bussia MGA. As with all of Claudio's Baroli, fermentation is spontaneous and he treats all the Barolo in the cellar the same; 40 days maceration, 6 months in tank, 30 months in large neutral barrel before bottling. Practicing organic.
ABOUT THIS 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.
With prices that frankly do not come close to approximating the astronomical quality of the wines, it’s painfully obvious that Fenocchio should be on the radar of Barolo lovers everywhere.