Visit to Giacomo Fenocchio with Claudio and Luca
Bussia, Monforte d’Alba
Tasted Friday, October 5, 2018 by HowardNZ with 511 views
Introduction
Luca kindly arranged a tasting for us with Claudio Fenocchio at Giacomo Fenocchio.
Five generations of Fenocchios have made wine in Bussia since 1894. Giacomo Fenocchio, Claudio’s father, took over the estate in the 1960s and built it into what it is today. Claudio assumed control of the family winery between 1989 and 1990. Since Giacomo’s time, the house style has been ultra-traditionalist. Claudio said that, in his time in charge, he had "improved the quality” and “aimed to produce cleaner wines”. At our visit, he said “70-80% of wine is the soil”. He only employs large botte for his élevage and typically undertaking 40 or more day macerations on skins for his Barolos. The exception is his limited Bussia Riserva which sees fully 90 day’s maceration.
Claudio manages about 7 hectares of vineyards in Barolo, Castiglione Falletto and Bussia. The Villero vineyard holding is from Claudio’s wife’s family. Total average annual production is about 3,000 cases.
Claudio talked about his recent Barolo vintages:
-2017 “was a hot year where I tried to retain some freshness in the wines”, but he expects it to be “an accessible, early drinking vintage”.
-2016 “is like a smaller version of 2013”.
-2015 was a cooler year than 2011 or 2012, producing relatively approachable wines.
-2014 is much more accessible than 2013. Luca calls 2014 “the year of the spice”.
-2013 is a “great year” but “very slow developing”.
-2007 and 2009 Fenocchio Barolos, he noted, will be "ready to drink soon".
Claudio gave us a barrel tasting of current vintages in botte and tank, followed by a bottle tasting – mainly 2014 Barolos – upstairs on his deck, overlooking his Bussia vines.
Once home, after my trip, I opened an ex-auction 1982 Bussia and served it blind to friends at a wine dinner, so I add my note here.
2017 Giacomo Fenocchio Barbera d'Alba Superiore
Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba Superiore
Tank sample. A bouquet of milk chocolate, blackcurrants and a little spice. Silky and smooth in the mouth. Blackberries, blackcurrant and chocolate. I quite liked this Barbera, finding it approachable and a little soft. “It’s a warm year so it’s low acidity”, said Claudio.
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2017 Giacomo Fenocchio Langhe Nebbiolo
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC
Tank sample. A perfumed, ripe and clean bouquet of black cherries and other dark fruit and gentle dark florals. On palate, pure, clean, ripe – mainly black – fruit. Attractive and plush. Svelte and silky mouthfeel, tannins relatively fine. However, again, lesser acidity and definition. “I tried to retain freshness in a hot year”, said Claudio. Decent length.
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2017 Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Villero
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Barrel sample. From a 1 ha vineyard, south-west facing at 300 metres above sea level. A soil of clay, calcareous sediments and iron, vines up to 65 years old. Maceration of 40 days. Spices, bright dark fruit, rose perfumes and tar on the nose. Again, for a 2017, rich and ripe fruit on palate, although possessing greater volume and concentration than the Langhe Nebbiolo. Quite plush black berry, plum and cherry fruit, with a little rocky minerality. The tannins a little soft but some tannic grip on the finish.
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2016 Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Cannubi
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Barrel sample. From a 0.5 ha vineyard, south-east facing at 280 metres above sea level. A Tortonian soil with marl and sand, vines around 30 years old. I preferred this Cannubi over the Villero. A very spicy bouquet with red cherries, redcurrants and rose perfume. Again, opulent, ripe fruit but, as Andrew said, “more phenolic punch here”. Still greater volume of fruit than with the Villero. Attractive “chalky tannins”, as Thierry observed, that led Claudio to note “a little limestone in the soil”.
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2015 Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Castellero
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Barrel sample from a 45 year old cask. From a 0.8 ha vineyard, west facing at 280 metres above sea level. A Tortonian soil with marl and sand, vines around 30 years old. Like the other 2015 Barolos, to be bottled at the end of 2018. A succulent, sweet-seeming bouquet of red cherries, raspberries and other largely red fruit. And “olives” noted Luca. On palate fleshy, rich and ripe red berries. Surprisingly approachable, straight from the barrel. Very good, I thought.
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2015 Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Villero
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Barrel sample. Another ripe seeming nose of darker fruit, minerals, earth and herbs. I much preferred this Villero to the – admittedly young – 2017 Villero. “Layered, elegant fruit, silky tannins”, as Thierry noted. However, serious structure and concentration with real grip on the finish.
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2015 Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Bussia
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Barrel sample. Five hectares here at the home vineyard, south-west facing at 300 metres above sea level. A soil of clay, calcareous sediments and iron, vines averaging around 35 years old. On bouquet, dark, very plush, opulent fruit with liquorice, graphite and some faint florals. In the mouth, a large volume of succulent, juicy fruit. Palate staining. Very full. Sweet-seeming, but large scaled tannins. Still, it’s very approachable for a barrel sample.
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2015 Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo 90 dì Riserva Bussia
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Claudio has made this special Riserva since 2008. It receives a massive 90 days maceration on the skins. This Bussia will see five years in botte and will be released in 2021. Between 2,000 and 4,000 bottles of this Riserva are released each year. The lightest colour of the wines sampled so far. A dark fruited, intense nose of minerals and spices. So silky and seamless on palate that the structure and volume of the fruit is disguised. Iron fist in a velvet glove. Very long. The wine of the barrel tasting and potentially even better than the 2012 Bussia Riserva.
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