Pack includes 3 bottles, 1 of each. Non ammendable.
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Giovanni Canonica
The extremely rare wines of Giovanni Canonica are hidden gems within Barolo. So much so that he has become an iconic figure among wine lovers from all corners of the globe - something that this humble and warm soul definitely did not seek to obtain. The production of his Barolo is extremely limited. Some 6000 or so bottles are released and generally sold, before most people even have the chance to think about purchasing them.
The cellar resonates with any notion one might have of pressing grapes in one’s backyard - because that is exactly what he does. Gianni only started bottling the wine he was making underneath his family home and bed and breakfast about fifteen years ago, and only under the persuasion of a certain Japanese importer who was incredibly impressed by the raw energy that this traditional version of Nebbiolo possessed. He is quite an anomaly in this area of Piedmonte by way of the fact that he avoids using sulphur as much as possible, refrains from fining, filtering and continues to age in large botte made from Slovenian oak. His approach encompasses the essence of tradition from the region.
There are just under four acres of vines in total and he only treats them with copper and sulphur – in place of pesticides and/or chemical fertilisers. The grapes are then plucked, destemmed and subject to a lengthy (30ish days) maceration before being pressed and aged in the large Slovenian oak barrels. Gianni eschews the addition of selected yeasts and has never dabbled in temperature control. Every aspect of this tiny production is done by hand - Giorgio Di Maria imports.
Langhe 2020
Canonica combines fruit from his two Barolo vineyards to make this expressive and singular Langhe Nebbiolo. Red fruits, spice, florals coming through. Ripe cherry, big chewy tannins but lifted by that wonderful alpine herbal thing that carries Nebbiolo form up here. Get it whilst you can.
Barolo Paiagallo 2018
Paiagallo is a fairly small hillside vineyard above Barolo at 300-400 meters. Canonica has about 4 acres of vines, including some planted with Barbera “for the family only”. This is perhaps the only known bottling off a mono-vineyard Paiagallo, the vineyard being shared only by 2 other producers. Canonica’s work is super old-fashioned in the vines, with no chemicals used aside from Bordeaux mix (copper and sulphur). In the winery the same approach: foot-pressed grapes; indigenous yeast fermentation; no temperature control; very long fermentation in wood, and aging in botte (very large old wood barrels); very minimal sulphur used throughout.
Paiagallo has great energy, transparency, and focus and traditional Nebbiolo characteristics. This wine sits alone in a category of Barolos, unrivalled in its authenticity.
Barolo Grinzane Cavour 2018
His vineyards in Grinzane Cavour were inherited from his father in law. A fresher wine than the Paiagallo, dried red fruits, herbal lift, softer tannins and an all round easy-going attitude to this wine, don’t let that take away from it’s brilliance, this might be the best of the bunch.