Wine Reviews

From one of Barolo’s most celebrated vineyard sites, the Michele Chiarlo 2022 Barolo Cannubi is characterized by a fragrant bouquet of sweet cherry, rose petal and lavender. Fermented in 55-hectoliter oak vats with 20 days of skin contact before aging in oak, the wine carries that gentle sweetness onto the palate with flavors of red licorice and iris root. The sandy and marl soils of Cannubi usually lend finesse and elegance, but in this warm vintage, the wine ultimately lacks the extreme precision and definition the site is known for. Produced in 4,800 bottles.

The 2021 Barolo Cannubi is another impressive wine in this range from Chiarlo. Aromatic and refined, with lovely red-fleshed fruit, the 2021 captures all the finesse of this great site. Hints of blood orange, mint, pine, dried flowers and rose petal appear later, rounding things out nicely.

Chiarlo owns a precious one-hectare slice of the Cannubi hill: just a few terraced rows on its steep, sun-drenched slope. The 2022 exhibits well defined aromas of raspberry, brushwood, pepper and cinnamon. It is youthfully austere but with an underlying sense of symmetry, where crunchy cranberry and redcurrant suffuse the core. The tannins are sinewy in muscle, exercising controlled vigour, while a fine, powdered texture makes for enticing mid-palate drama. I love the slightly salty edge. Give this another year to flesh out.

A graceful, spicy wine with aromas of mint, licorice, dried cherries, potpourri and balsamic. Full-bodied, it shows ripeness, velvety tannins, refreshing acidity and a long, savory finish. Classic and harmonious.

This opens up with cinnamon and dark cherries, as well as an earthy note reminiscent of tile. The palate is juicy and accessible, with fine tannins and a persistent, elegantly fruity finish. Bright, with incisive freshness and approachability.