2006 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin (Gabutti)- Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (5/19/2019)
Advanced colour for a 2006. There’s more bricking here than there ought to be, and the colour is distinctly brown. Fortunately, this bottle wasn’t messed up like the one I had at Barolofriends in February (that bottle prompted me to open one of my own to make sure the wine was actually sound). There’s initially a bit of volatility on the nose, but that tapers off with some extended airing (I started consuming this with lunch a few hours after throwing the bottle into a decanter in the morning). Overall, this is a lighter, and more delicate 2006 than most others I’ve had, and there’s a high-tonedness that’s not quite what I like. There’s fruit still, but it is more advanced than I would expect for just a 13-year-old nebbiolo. The palate is generally light, with tannins which are still quite primary – seems like different parts of this wine are evolving at different paces. I’m inclined to drink up…
This is pretty shocking to me. I have only a few bottles of this producer in the cellar, but had buried them based on the reputation that they are classic, long-lived wines. I am not even certain what vintage they are, just that I typically want 15 years at least in my baroli. Maybe I should go hunting for them. Thanks for the post
I suspect, only through my own limited tastings that the last few vintages that Teobaldo made were not quite up to scratch (this is pretty much the same story down the street at Bartolo Mascarello as well). Augusto’s wines are a little less rustic/volatile, though it is still traditionalist to a T, so if you have the younger bottlings, I wouldn’t worry. The 2011 is going to be legendary.
The 2006 has the reputation for being marred by bottle variation and perhaps being a bit underwhelming. I have not had it, nor do I own it. This is also reflected by the fact that it is fairly easy to find and does not command the premium other Cappellano bottlings from “great” vintages do
Opened the first of 3 bottles of the 2004 the other day. Brown, oxidized, flawed wine. Many other reports of this problem with 2004’s, but terribly disappointing nonetheless.
Just that I’m not surprised by it. I’ve only had a Cappellano twice, and both had the lifted feel that wines with more VA than normal have. You’ll find it in certain Italian producers more than usual (like Paolo Bea wines, for instance). I don’t feel it’s anything to worry about, but nothing I’m surprised at hearing of. Hope it clarifies.
Thank you for the posts on these older vintages. I only started drinking Cappellano with the 2011s, and love the 11s, 12s, and 13s. The only older bottle I had was a 2005 recently and found it more advanced than my liking but in sync with many Baroli of the 2005 vintage, a vintage were I found many advancing early. In Piedmont a few days ago, I picked up a 2001 Rupestris and have great expectations for that bottle.
Augusto began working with his father in 2004 and was completely in charge of winemaking beginning with the 2008 harvest due to his father’s illness. Baldo passed away in February of 2009.
I have not experienced as many problems with these wines as some other people have. I did have a 2007 Franco that was corked and old bottles are always a crapshoot, but the good ones are so great