“We consider our farm an organic business although we have not been certified yet; we are participating, however, to the European project that encourages sustainable farming and we follow agricultural practices passed on for generations. We will combine the newly purchased vineyards with those from our family heritage to craft a quality wine that best represents its territory of origin, which we aim to protect in any possible way. What has given consistency and shaped our family farming business for generations is the respect for the work of our forefathers and the willingness to continue this tradition.”
– Claudio Fenocchio
Five generations of Fenocchios have been producing wine from their holdings in Monforte d’Alba since 1894. Most of the production was sold locally up until 1964, when the ambitious and energetic Giacomo Fenocchio took over the estate. In his quest to make the finest wines in all of Barolo, he purchased prime parcels in Cannubi and nearby Castellero, but his focus was always on what he liked to call the heart of the Barolo area, the Bussia.
In April of 1989, Giacomo passed away, leaving his young son Claudio to take over all farming and winemaking duties for the estate. As Claudio explains it, it was a challenging time for Barolo. Many producers were pushing a “new way” to make Barolo, and having great commercial success; but Claudio never strayed from the path of tradition. He continued producing his wines with the time honored techniques of the classic style: organic farming, with long fermentations on the skins and aging only in large Slavonian oak casks. Today Claudio’s wines exhibit a level of terroir clarity that is only found in the top echelon of producers. If you’re looking for the next star winemaker in Italy, look no further. Claudio now manages 14 hectares of vineyards in Barolo, Castiglione Falletto and of course, the Bussia of Monforte. Total average annual production is about 8,000 cases.
With prices that frankly do not come close to approximating the astronomical quality of the wines, it’s painfully obvious that Fenocchio should be on the radar of Barolo lovers everywhere.
