E. Pira & Figli - Chiara Boschis Barolo "Cannubi" 2020

The E. Pira e Figli - Chiara Boschis 2020 Barolo Cannubi is a fine and delicate wine, although there is a little more grit and richness in this warm vintage. The quality of the fruit is exceptional, especially its crisp ripeness. Dark cherry, blackcurrant, rose blossom, pink pepper and white limestone add considerable high-toned notes. The freshness is great and the fruit stays juicy, fueling a long, elegant finish. Only 4,000 bottles were made. Wine Advocate 97 · Chiara Boschis took over the historic E. Pira & Figli estate in 1990 and has spent the decades since quietly reshaping what Cannubi Barolo can be. She was the first grower in Cannubi to go organic, and her influence on the surrounding community has followed. The winery itself traces its roots to the Boschis family's long presence in the Langhe, and today her brother Giorgio and niece Beatrice manage the cellar while Chiara tends her vineyards with the same hands-on focus that has always defined this address. · The Cannubi parcel is just 0.7 hectares, situated at 300 meters with a south to southwest exposure — textbook orientation for ripening Nebbiolo in the Langhe. Cannubi is the most celebrated individual cru in all of Barolo, and its calcareous, sandy Helvetian soils produce wines of remarkable finesse and aromatic definition, less iron-driven than Serralunga, more perfumed and silken than Monforte. · Fermentation takes place in stainless steel with multiple daily punchdowns, then the wine is racked early and aged for 24 months in lightly toasted French oak barriques, 30% new, followed by one full year of bottle aging before release. The approach is deliberately restrained — enough structure from the wood to support the wine's architecture, but never enough to obscure Cannubi's signature. · Only 3,774 bottles and 340 magnums were produced from the 2020 vintage, a year that delivered 30–40% reduced yields due to climatic extremes, concentrating the grapes beautifully. The result is a wine of uncommon precision and depth. Dark cherry, rose blossom, pink pepper, mint, blood orange, and crushed limestone build toward a finish that is long, mineral, and impeccably balanced. · Drink it now with respect, or cellar it with confidence. James Suckling awarded 97 points and recommends drinking from 2027, while Wine Advocate matched that score. This is one of the most decorated small-production Barolos of the vintage, and the window for acquisition will not stay open long. · Food pairing: Barolo Cannubi at this level calls for roasted lamb rack with rosemary and anchovy butter, a slow-braised short rib with truffle gremolata, or, if you want to keep it Piemontese, a simply prepared tajarin with butter and white truffle. The wine's structure handles richness easily; its perfume elevates anything on the plate beside it.