Barolo, Cannubi, 2019
It is always a treat to taste Cannubi, whatever the setting, but with her 2019 Silvia Altare has well and truly hit it out of the park. Rich and glossy in the best possible way, with very fine mouthcoating velvety tannins, sensual but salty red and black fruit, it fans out to reveal poised, powerful dark notes of earth, liquorice and black tea. Charged and yet somehow poised at the same time. From the historic central part of Cannubi, the wine was aged for 24 months in 30% new barrique after fermentation in stainless steel.
critic reviews
Leasing land in Cannubi is very tricky and competitive. "It's a lottery," Silvia Altare tells me in her La Morra tasting room. Her lease on Cannubi is expiring this year (2023), and when I spoke to her, she was negotiating a 15-year renewal. With only 2,500 bottles released from three barrels (the first vintage from Cannubi was 2011), this is a gorgeous interpretation of Nebbiolo. The Elio Altare 2019 Barolo Cannubi is slender in form but rich and long lasting on the palate. The wine reveals tones of wild berry, crushed rose and exotic spice.
The 2019 Barolo Cannubi shows why this site is so magical. It offers all the suppleness that Cannubi is so known for, but married to the natural tension of the year. Sweet red cherry, kirsch, cinnamon, blood orange and mint open nicely in the glass. With its gorgeous inner perfume and total sensuality, the Cannubi is an absolute winner.