Product information

Giovanni Canonica Barolo ‘Grinzane Cavour’ 2016

Nebbiolo from Grinzane Cavour, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy

$125

$120ea in any 3+
$115ea in any 6+
Closure: Cork

Description

Wines like these are so rare that it is impossible to try them before they land in the country and they invariably sell out before you get to! His vineyards in Grinzane Cavour were inherited by his father in law. Adding an addition 1 hectare to the 1.5 hectares of Paiagallo. Still making for a tiny production.

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Check out all of the wines by Giovanni Canonica

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

About Giovanni Canonica

Giovanni Canonica is a hidden legend in the town of Barolo. He and his family run a small agriturismo where, in the cellars below, he makes his wines. He has only 1.5 hectares of vines in the Paiagallo vineyard directly on the hill above Barolo. The only other proprietors in this vineyard site are Marchesi de Gresy and Fontanafredda, neither of whom does a mono-vineyard bottling from it.

Gianni proves, in the right hands, that doing so merits consideration. His holdings are also separated from the conventional vineyard work of the other producers in a way that keeps as much integrity to Canonica’s vines as possible. The vineyard is planted in Nebbiolo in the best spots and Barbera in the less interesting plots. Everything is traditional in the vineyard and cellar: no herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers, only sulfur and copper treatments, de-stemming, maceration for 30-40 days using only indigenous yeasts, vertical hand press, then into cement and slavonian oak for aging. A small number of bottles are made, mostly sold at the cellar.

The 2016 Barolo Vintage

2016 has come at just the right time. We have a number of winemakers with incredible experience and wine wisdom. The vineyards in Barolo are in the best condition they’ve been in with incredible detail going into their care.

Combined we have a situation where vignerons are in the best possible position to make the most of the great fruit yielded by the 2016 harvest!

When you compare the 2015 & 2016 vintages you see the difference between a warmer vintage with a shorter ripening period and a cooler one with the longest ripening period in memory.

Nebbiolo responds beautifully to a cooler longer ripening. Once it reaches sugar level high enough to make a wine around 14-14.5% alcohol the sugar levels stop increasing, it tends to hold its acid and the tannins so important to the insane mouthfeel of Nebbiolo ripen and increase in depth.

Such vintages tend to offer wines with more perfume, energy, and, vitality.

The 2016 vintage was one of the longest-lasting in recent years. Early winter was dry and mild, however from the end of February through March, the temperatures dropped with plenty of rain, providing good reserves of water. The “late” cold delayed the vegetative cycle, and spring proper also started wet with average daytime temperatures but low overnight minimums, helping retain good health. This phenological delay continued until the end of the summer, which began slowly but extended until the end of September. The white harvest ran from September 5th to 20th, with the wines showing excellent aroma and good acidity due to cooler summer temperature peaks. The red harvest began immediately after with Dolcetto, followed without a break to the middle of October with the Barbera and Nebbiolo. 2016 was a very good vintage for Dolcetto, but even more so for Barbera, which acquired excellent levels of sugar over a long period of stable conditions, while maintaining the varietal’s typically good acidity. Nebbiolo also achieved good phenological ripeness, a direct result of the perfect warm, sunny conditions of the second half of September. Whilst it is still early, the 2016 vintage wines display excellent balance, generous aromatics and great structure, and in some cases lower alcohols, compared to 2015. 2016 promises to be a vintage which will be talked about for a long time to come!

2016 is already being mentioned in the same breath as 2004 & 1990!

Where in the World is Giovanni Canonica?

The Paiagallo vineyard is in the Commune of Barolo, just to the north-west of the township of Barolo and the bottom end of the Cannubi vineyard. Ginzane Carvour is the north-east corner of the Barolo region.

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94 Points

Firm tannin, a lot of almond paste, red fruits, slight cedar top note. Tannin is wide-grained and gently chalky, fine finish, all strawberry and spice. and a sense of prettiness. Doesn’t carry its alcohol quite as confidently as the Paiagallo, but it’s still a charming and very lovely wine.

Gary Walsh

Where in the world does the magic happen?

Azienda Agricola Canonica Giovanni via Roma 47 12060 Barolo Italia

Grinzane Cavour
Barolo
Piedmont
Italy