Barolo Cannubi

I tasted this Barolo Cannubi 2005 at the Hong Kong Food Festival recently. I was surprised to learn from the people manning the stall at which I tasted the wine, that I was one of very few people who had know of the cru of Cannubi in Barolo. Now Barolo is not a wine I know a great deal about but Cannubi is one of the crus which are more often encountered in wines one sees here in Hong Kong.

Although there is no strict legal definition of the crus of Barolo wine, a number of areas have been traditionally designated as such, like Cannubi (also Cannubi Boschi), San Lorenzo, Bricco Roche, Cerequeio, Monprivato etc amongst others. These designations first appeared at the end of the 19th century but things got out of control. A systematic study of the various terroirs by Renato Ratti has led to a map which is widely accepted, although the detailed labeling practices are still subjected to arguments and even court battles.