Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo ‘Villero’ 2018

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

• From one-hectare of 65 year old vines in the cru of Villero
• 300 meters elevation
• Iron-rich calcareous clay soils
• Spontaneous fermentation and skin maceration over 40 days
• Aged 36 months in large Slavonian oak casks prior to bottling
• 500 cases produced annually.

Claudio Fenocchio’s 2018s are absolutely gorgeous. Quality has risen pretty dramatically here in recent years. The 2018s are especially notable given how challenging the vintage was throughout the region. Readers in search of fine, classically built Barolos that remain accessible in terms of pricing will want to check out Fenocchio.

Antonio Galloni Vinous

About Giacomo Fenocchio

Claudio Fenocchio’s estate is comprised of prized vineyards (14 hectares in total) spanning across Cannubi in Barolo, Villero in Castiglione Falletto, and Bussia in Monforte d’Alba, where his cantina rests at the crest of the hill.

In April of 1989, Claudio’s father, Giacomo passed away, leaving him to take over all farming and winemaking duties for the estate. These were challenging times for Barolo, Claudio explains. When many producers were pushing innovative ways to make Barolo, and having great commercial success, Claudio never strayed from the path of tradition. Just like the four generations that preceded him (the estate was founded in 1864), Claudio continued producing his wines with the time-honoured techniques of the classic style: organic farming, with long fermentations on the skins and aging only in large Slavonian oak casks.

In the Vineyard

“We consider our farm an organic business although we have not been certified yet; we are participating, however, to the European project that encourages sustainable farming and we follow agricultural practices passed on for generations.

We will combine the newly purchased vineyards with those from our family heritage to craft a quality wine that best represents its territory of origin, which we aim to protect in any possible way.

What has given consistency and shaped our family farming business for generations is the respect for the work of our forefathers and the willingness to continue this tradition.”

Claudio Fenochhio

In the Winery

The new winery at Giacomo Fenocchio.

Where in the World is Giacomo Fenocchio?

Giacomo Fenocchio is based in Bussia Soprano at the very top of Monforte d’Alba. This wine comes from the fabled vineyard Villero in Castiglione Falletto.