Giovanni Canonica

Anarchic traditionalist in Barolo — perfume-first Nebbiolo from Paiagallo.

snapshot

Region: Barolo, Piemonte - centered on the Paiagallo hillside, with a second Barolo expression from Grinzane Cavour
Style: Ultra-traditional Berolo with surprisingly light touch: high perfume, clear fruit, firm structure - built to age, never "modern" or glossy
Grape: Nebbiolo
Farming: Tini-production, old-school viticulture focused on healthy grapes and natural balance - more observation than intervention 
Winemaking: Spontaneous fermentations, long macerations, ageing in large oak (botti), very low sulphur, no cosmetic correction 
Signature: Aromatic Barolo first: roses, dried herbs, sour cherry, and long tannic line - transparent, alive, and stubbornly itself

 

“Voglio che il mio Barolo si faccia quasi da sé.”

GIOVANNI CANONICA
Skip to results list
1 item
  • Giovanni Canonica - Barolo Paiagallo 2011
    Sold out

    Giovanni Canonica - Barolo Paiagallo 2011

    Giovanni Canonica - Barolo Paiagallo 2011
    2,158.00 SEK

HOW HE GOT HERE

Canonica is the kind of Barolo figure who doesn’t fit the standard “traditional vs modern” split. His wines are rooted in old methods, but the feel is singular — more about perfume and vitality than muscle.

He’s been making wine for decades (he references his first harvest as 1983), and he came up when the region’s economics were different — selling bulk wine and grapes was part of surviving.

Over time, the market caught up to what he was already doing: wines less manipulated, more transparent. The irony is that when “natural” became a word, Canonica was already there — just quietly, stubbornly, and at tiny scale.

Where The Wine Is Born

Paiagallo sits on the hill above Barolo, with cited elevations around 300–400m, which helps explain the wine’s aromatic lift and freshness.

This is classic Nebbiolo territory — but Canonica’s site and approach push the wine toward grace and open perfume, without losing the tannin architecture that makes Barolo age.

It’s the kind of place where small farming choices show up loudly: canopy, yield, harvest date, and how gently you treat fruit in the cellar. Canonica’s method reads like “do less, but do it perfectly.”

PAIAGALLO

How the wine feels

High-Definition Rose

Floral and mentholated aromatics jump fast.

Old-School Frame

Long macerations + botti structure, no makeup.

Pure Fruit Core

Transparent cherry without sweetness or gloss.
Giovanni Canonica - Barolo Paiagallo 2011
Sold out

Giovanni Canonica - Barolo Paiagallo 2011

Giovanni Canonica - Barolo Paiagallo 2011
2,158.00 SEK
FOR THE NERDS

Canonica farms a very small holding in Paiagallo and vinifies in a deeply traditional, low-intervention way: foot-pressed grapes, indigenous yeast fermentation, no temperature control, very long fermentation in wood, aging in large old botti, and minimal sulfur.

The result is a Barolo that reads “traditional” on paper, but in the glass often emphasizes energy, aromatic clarity, and finesse rather than extraction or oak signature.

The terroir/elevation factor (300–400m cited) helps preserve freshness, while the long élevage and tannin management keep the wine built for time.

“Quando ho iniziato in molti mi ridevano dietro. Forse anche oggi.”