BAROLO CANNUBI: WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT WINES FROM THIS VINEYARD?
In our 2021 Fall Shipment we included our first Cannubi Barolo by Virna. For a Barolo lover, tasting a Cannubi* is a must! So what makes it one of the most famous vineyard sites in the world?
*Note: Here we are refering to the general hill of Cannubi. With much controversery, there are actually specific sub-zones of Cannubi including: Cannubi San Lorenzo, Cannubi Muscatel, Cannubi Valletta, Cannubi Boschis and just Cannubi which can be either specified or generally written as Cannubi on the label.
CANNUBI SOIL
The soils of Cannubi are mostly compositions of sand, silt and a bit of clay. Towards the bottom of the hill you will have sandier soils which give the Barolos elegance, a characteristic of Cannubi wines. According to Virna, this is where the key flavor of licorice comes from!
POSITION
If you look at the map of the Barolo appellation you can see a low ridge running down the middle. This is thought to look like a rolling tongue, lingua (where the name Langhe might originate from). Simply generalized on the North-Western side, you will have younger soils some of which are coming from the Tortonian era. To the South-East, where Serralunga and Monforte lie, you can find some of the oldest soils coming from the Helvation era. Cannubi, which runs right down the middle, is a combination and perfect balance of the two sides of Barolo. This round harmony that embodies both power and finesse, is a fantastic representation of Barolo.
BAROLO CANNUBI – FUN FACTS:
- Cannubi comes from the Latin, connubio (marriage). This could be because it is where the two sides of the Barolo area meet.
- The first label found, including the word Cannubi was in 1752
- Cannubi is divided into sub-crus Cannubi, Cannubi Boschis, Cannubi Valletta, Cannubi Muscatel and Cannubi San Lorenzo. There have been debates about whether wineries can simply put Cannubi or must put the exact name, to date, wineries can simply put Cannubi even if the sub-zones are officially considered their own defined vineyards.
- Cannubi, thanks to producers like Chiara Boschis have worked hard to make this the first nearly all organic crus.
- Some of the most famous producers with Barolo Cannubi include: Serio e Battista Borgogno, Francesco Boschis, Burlotto, Brezza, Damilano, Chiara Boschis E. Pira & Figli, Sandrone, Giacomo Fenocchio.
CANNUBI EXPOSURE
Most of Cannubi is facing towards South East. This is considered a fantastic exposure because you have the bright and softer morning sun, and the grapes have time to cool off during the night as the sun sets in the west.
To learn more about Virna’s vineyard in Cannubi Boschis watch the youtube video here!
If you want to try some Barolo Cannubi, visit our shop and if you don’t find what you are looking for, write us an email and we will customize the order for you.
