"Giovanni Canonica is a hidden legend. He works out of a tiny, cramped cellar in the heart of Barolo. Canonica's Barolos reflect artisan values that are increasingly rare in Piedmont. The production is tiny and sells out immediately. Readers who can find these traditionally made wines should not hesitate, as they are full of character and worth the effort of tracking down. He has only 1.5 hectares of vines in the Paiagallo vineyard directly on the hill above Barolo. The only other proprietors in this vineyard site are Marchesi de Gresy and Fontanafredda, neither of whom does a mono-vineyard bottling from it, but which Gianni proves, in the right hands, merits consideration. His holdings are also separated from the conventional vineyard work of the other producers in a way that maintains as much integrity as Canonica's vineyard work. The vineyard is planted for Nebbiolo in the best spots and Barbera in the spots unsuitable for Nebbiolo. Everything is traditional in the vineyard and cellar: no herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers, only sulfur and copper treatments, destemming, maceration for 30-40 days using only Indigenous yeasts, vertical hand press, then into cement and Slavonian oak for ageing.