Giovanni Canonica Barolo Paiagallo 2022

Giovanni Canonica is one of Barolo’s great cult producers, although “cult” is almost the opposite of what he set out to be. Born and raised in Barolo, Canonica studied oenology in Alba and made his first wine in 1983 from his family’s Paiagallo vineyard. For many years he sold most of his production in bulk, only beginning to bottle commercially in the 1990s. His wines became known outside Italy around 2000, when a Japanese importer persuaded him to export. Today he remains an exceptionally small producer, working from his home and agriturismo in the village of Barolo.

Paiagallo is a historic vineyard on the hillside directly above the village of Barolo, generally around 300 to 400 meters in elevation. Canonica farms about 1.5 hectares there, planted almost entirely to nebbiolo. The vineyard has calcareous marl and clay soils and a favorable southeastern exposure. His farming is organic but not certified, and he avoids herbicides, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, relying instead on traditional copper and sulfur treatments. It is an intentionally old fashioned approach to vineyard work, particularly notable in an appellation where modern viticulture has become increasingly intensive.

The winemaking is equally traditional and deliberately hands off. The nebbiolo is destemmed and undergoes a very long maceration, generally 30 to 40 days, with only indigenous yeasts and no temperature control. The wine is then pressed and aged in large Slavonian oak botti and concrete, rather than small or new barrels. Canonica uses very little sulfur and bottles the wine unfined and unfiltered. This is old school Barolo in the truest sense: long extraction, long élevage and very little technological intervention, allowing the wine to evolve slowly and retain a strong sense of place.

The 2022 Paiagallo is a particularly compelling expression of Canonica’s style, combining the perfume and transparency of nebbiolo with the darker, more earthy side of traditional Barolo. Expect red and dark cherry, rose, balsamic herbs, spice and hints of earth and underbrush, with substantial but finely integrated tannins and a long, savory finish. It has the characteristic tension of Canonica’s wines: elegant and aromatic on one hand, but wonderfully feral and structured underneath. This is a Barolo that rewards patience, but its freshness and perfume make it fascinating to drink even before it reaches full maturity.