Paolo Scavino

Paolo Scavino was established in 1921 when Lorenzo Scavino and his son Paolo began bottling wine from their family vineyards in Castiglione Falletto. Enrico Scavino, Lorenzo's grandson and Paolo's son, started working full-time at the estate in 1951 at just ten years old. Over seven decades he led systematic vineyard expansion and became one of the central figures in Barolo's modernist movement as a member of the 'Barolo Boys,' alongside contemporaries such as Elio Altare and Domenico Clerico. Enrico passed away on February 25, 2024 at age 82 following complications from surgery. His daughters Enrica and Elisa, the fourth generation, had long worked alongside their father and now lead the estate with the same commitment to quality and innovation he established.

• Founded 1921 by Lorenzo Scavino and son Paolo in Castiglione Falletto; Enrico Scavino (born 1941) ran the estate from 1951 until his passing on February 25, 2024
• Enrico was a key figure among the 'Barolo Boys,' the group of producers who modernized the appellation's winemaking in the 1980s and 1990s
• Family connection: Enrico's first cousin Luigi Scavino of Azelia is a neighbor; their fathers divided the 11-hectare Scavino farm in the 1950s, giving each family equal shares of the Fiasco hill
• Fourth-generation sisters Enrica and Elisa now jointly manage all vineyard and winemaking operations

The estate controls approximately 30 hectares entirely within the Barolo DOCG, spread across 20 historical crus in eight communes. This geographic breadth, spanning both the Tortonian sandy marls of the western communes and the more compact Helvetian soils of the east, gives the Scavinos a uniquely panoramic view of the appellation. The Fiasco vineyard in Castiglione Falletto has been family property since 1921 and sits on an intersection of Tortonian and Helvetian soils at roughly 280 meters; Castiglione Falletto's central position means its wines combine the elegance of La Morra and Barolo with the power of Serralunga and Monforte. Key acquisitions expanded this range: Rocche dell'Annunziata (La Morra) was purchased in 1990 and became the estate's sole Riserva; Bricco Ambrogio (Roddi) was purchased in 2001; and Monvigliero (Verduno) was first vinified in 2000 and purchased in 2007 when it was released as a standalone single-cru.

• Bric del Fiasc (Castiglione Falletto, estate property since 1921): southwest-facing at 280 meters; soils are Marna di Sant'Agata Fossili limestone and marl, a mix of Tortonian and Helvetian strata delivering balance of elegance and power
• Cannubi (Barolo): south-southeast-facing at 290 meters; blue marne, limestone, and sand soils; vines planted 1946; leased 1985-2018 and produced approximately 300 cases annually
• Rocche dell'Annunziata (La Morra): south-southeast-facing at 385 meters; calcareous soils with hard sandstone; purchased 1990 and produced as Riserva only in outstanding vintages, receiving extended barrel and bottle aging
• Monvigliero (Verduno): considered the grand cru of Verduno; first vinified in 2000, purchased in 2007, and released as a standalone cru from the 2007 vintage; soils rich in marine fossils and limestone

Paolo Scavino's approach is grounded in understanding each plot individually. Every parcel is vinified separately in stainless steel, and in some cases a single vineyard produces multiple micro-vinifications based on soil composition, altitude, vine age, and clone. This enables strict selection: underperforming lots are sold as bulk wine, which accounts for 10 to 30 percent of annual production depending on vintage. Fermentation uses indigenous yeasts with temperature control, submerged-cap maceration of 8 to 12 days, and 20 to 30 days of total alcoholic fermentation. Rotofermenters were introduced in 1993 to improve extraction efficiency and extract color and tannins from skins while minimizing harsh seed tannins. Between 1996 and 1999, Slavonian casks were replaced with French oak barriques used for the first 10 months of aging before transfer to larger botti. New oak has been progressively reduced from 30 percent in the 1990s to 14 percent from the 2015 harvest. In 2016, Elisa Scavino began trials with open-top, tronconic wooden fermentation vats, an innovation that has since been extended across multiple crus.

• Micro-vinification of every plot allows parcel-by-parcel assessment; underperforming plots are declassified to bulk rather than blended into labeled wines
• Rotofermenters introduced in 1993 enable 6-12 days of maceration instead of traditional 20-30, extracting skin tannins while limiting seed tannin extraction
• New oak reduced from 30 percent (1990s) to 20 percent (2004-2008), 17 percent (2011-2012), and 14 percent (2015 onward), with barriques used only for the first 10 months before transfer to large botti
• In 2007, Enrico designed his own fermentation vessel to improve finesse of extraction; from 2016, Elisa began open-top tronconic wooden vat trials across multiple crus

Paolo Scavino's portfolio centers on a range of single-cru Barolos unified by the same vinification protocol, allowing terroir differences to speak clearly. The Barolo Classico is a blend from the best plots of seven single vineyards across Castiglione Falletto, Barolo, and Serralunga d'Alba communes, and earned 94 points from Wine Advocate and 93 points from Wine Spectator for the 2021 vintage. Bric del Fiasc remains the estate's flagship, first produced in 1978; the 2020 earned 97 Falstaff points. The Cannubi bottling, produced from a rented half-hectare of 1946-planted vines from 1985 through 2018, earned 95 points from Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast, and James Suckling for its final 2018 vintage. The Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata is produced only in superior vintages and consistently earns scores averaging around $240 at retail, with the 2016 vintage earning 98 points from Wine Advocate.

• Barolo Classico 2021: 94 points Wine Advocate, 93 points Wine Spectator; sourced from top plots of seven single vineyards in Castiglione Falletto, Barolo, and Serralunga d'Alba
• Bric del Fiasc 2020: 97 Falstaff points; flagship cru produced since 1978 from the Fiasco vineyard at the center of the Barolo zone where soil types intersect
• Barolo Cannubi 2018: 95 points Wine Advocate, 95 points James Suckling, 95 points Wine Enthusiast; final vintage from a 1.36-acre parcel of 1946-planted vines after lease expiration
• Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata: produced only in superior vintages (including 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019) and released after extended barrel and bottle aging; 2016 received 98 points from Wine Advocate

Paolo Scavino stands as one of Barolo's most consequential modernist estates. Enrico Scavino's work alongside Elio Altare, Roberto Voerzio, and others in the 'Barolo Boys' movement helped transform Barolo's global image in the late 1980s and 1990s. Unlike some of his contemporaries who leaned heavily on new French oak, Enrico consistently pursued balance and elegance, and progressively reduced new oak use as understanding of Nebbiolo evolved. His micro-vinification system and strict quality controls have become reference points across the appellation. The loss of the Cannubi lease after the 2018 vintage marked a shift, but new crus including Ravera, Prapò, and Bussia continue to expand the portfolio. Under Enrica and Elisa, the estate continues to advance: the 2016 trials with open-top wooden vats have produced promising results, and the sisters have been integral to the estate's operations for many years, ensuring seamless continuity.

• Enrico Scavino was a founding member of the 'Barolo Boys,' alongside Elio Altare and Roberto Voerzio, whose modern techniques transformed Barolo's international reputation in the late 1980s and 1990s
• Progressive oak reduction from 30 percent new (1990s) to 14 percent (2015+) reflects the estate's ongoing commitment to terroir clarity over winemaking intervention
• Loss of the Cannubi lease (2018) also ended the Carobric blend (Rocche di Castiglione, Cannubi, Bric del Fiasc); newer crus Ravera, Prapò, and Bussia continue broadening the portfolio
• Open-top wooden fermentation vat trials begun by Elisa in 2016 have been extended across crus, pointing toward a further evolution in extraction philosophy under the fourth generation