Cantina Brezza's Cru Barolo Cannubi 2021 is a Barolo for lovers of finesse, depth, and true origin. This wine comes from the historic heart of Cannubi, one of Barolo's most famous hills, and perfectly demonstrates why this cru has enjoyed such a great reputation for generations: alluring perfume, pure red fruit, delicate spiciness, firm yet noble tannins, and an impressive length. At Brezza, this classic Cannubi character is not overwhelmed by fashionable oak influences but is kept pure through organic vineyard care and traditional aging in large Slavonian botti.
The 2021 Barolo Cannubi opens refined and layered, with aromas of wild red berries, rose petals, hay, anise, mint, and a subtle hint of leather. On the palate, it is full but not heavy: think of red cherry, pomegranate, licorice, and white pepper, supported by fine-grained tannins and lively acidity. The whole still appears youthful and compact, but this is precisely where the class of this wine lies: elegance, tension, and length instead of pure power. The style is classic Brezza and classic Cannubi at the same time.
This wine comes from Brezza's plot in Cannubi, in the municipality of Barolo. The vineyard covers 1.4 hectares, is located at about 250 meters altitude, has a southeast exposure, and is planted with Nebbiolo, sub-varieties Lampia and Michet. The vines are planted at 1 x 2.7 meters, which amounts to approximately 3,700 vines per hectare, and the planting years are 1994 and 2003. The soil is clayey silt and sand. The Cannubi hill is geologically special because two important Barolo formations converge here: Sant’Agata Fossil Marl and Diano Sandstones. This partly explains why Cannubi is so often associated with both perfume and finesse as well as structure and aging potential.
Cannubi is not just a well-known cru but a historic name in Barolo. Brezza refers here to a bottle from 1752 on which Cannubi was already explicitly mentioned. This is not just any Barolo; you are buying a great Barolo, a wine that has been a benchmark for centuries.
The 2021 vintage in Barolo is considered a very strong and balanced year. The season started with a mild winter, with sufficient rain and snow to replenish water reserves. This was followed by a long, dry, and predominantly stable growing season. There was spring frost in April, but Nebbiolo in the Barolo zone suffered only limited damage. In summer, the health of the grapes remained excellent, while the berries remained smaller than in 2020, resulting in a high polyphenolic concentration. These are precisely the building blocks for Barolos with structure, freshness, and longevity.
The grapes for the Cannubi 2021 were harvested manually in October, under favorable, cool autumn conditions that benefited aromatic precision and phenolic ripeness.
At Brezza, the grapes are selected by hand and brought to the cellar in small crates. After destemming and crushing, alcoholic fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, typically for 7 to 8 days at a maximum of 26 °C. The wine then remains on the skins for another 10 to 15 days for extended maceration, with regular pump-overs. Malolactic fermentation takes place in cement at approximately 18 °C. Subsequently, the wine ages for about two years in medium-sized Slavonian oak botti of approximately 30 hectoliters, followed by another year of bottle aging. Only then is it released to the market. Furthermore, only about 9,000 numbered bottles of this Cannubi are produced.
This classic upbringing profile perfectly matches Brezza's philosophy. The family has been working in Barolo since 1885, cultivating its vineyards organically, harvesting by hand, and consciously choosing a traditional style with large, untoasted Slavonian barrels, so that terroir and grape remain central. As a result, the 2021 Cannubi remains not an "oak-Barolo" but a wine in which the cru itself speaks.
Wine-food pairing
This Cannubi calls for dishes with depth, texture, and earthy notes. Think of game, slow-cooked beef, brasato, duck breast, mushrooms, tajarin with truffle, or a nice aged hard cheese. Older guide entries on the producer's website also mention combinations for Cannubi with braised game and veal with aromatic herbs; this aligns well with the refined yet serious character of this 2021.
About Brezza:
Brezza Giacomo e Figli dal 1885, or simply Brezza from Barolo, is a historic family estate with vineyards since 1885, now run by the fourth generation and organically certified. Their wines combine classic Barolo style with pure terroir, finesse, and impressive authenticity.
