Barolo, Cannubi, 2013

Enticing and floral but plays a little harder to get than the more immediate Monvigliero. A class act, stylish precise red berry, rose and cherry fruit mixed with suaver, warmer notes of kirsch and creme de mure finishing on woody sweet spice, mineral and rock notes. So intense, complete and sophisticated. A small parcel from which only 300 cases are produced. This is what the Scavinos call “Cannubi Cannubi”. (Their parcel is at the very heart of the Cannubi vineyard at the top of the hill where the mother rock is close to the surface. Soils are blue marne, limestone and sand. Shallow and rocky with a south-east exposure situated at 290 metres above sea level, this terroir makes for a wine combining silky fruit and powerful structure.) The first vintage Scavino bottled was 1985, the vines were planted in 1946 with the low-yielding, darker fruit Nebbiolo michet clone. Cannubi is one of the historic crus of Barolo, in fact such was the fame of the vineyard in the past that wines here were sold as “Cannubio” before Barolo as a defined vineyard region even existed.