2018 Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo "Villero", Piedmont, Italy
ABOUT THIS WINE
The color is a deep garnet red with ruby reflections. The scent is complex and rich with wild fruits, flowers, spice, and earth. The Villero expresses itself on the palate with power, intense flavor, and rich tannins. Accompanied by a dry and lengthy finish, this wine is considered one of the most age worthy bottlings in all of Barolo. Old vines over 65 years old on soils rich in iron, calcareous sediments, and clay. Just 5,000 bottles are produced from a southwest facing plot, the historic “Villero” cru in the village of Castiglione Falletto is the most powerful of the Fenocchio wines and is considered by many experts to be one of the great wines of Barolo. 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.