Last week, I was happy to sit with a group of die-hard Barolo lovers and friends in what has become one of the greatest tasting groups I have ever had the honor of being a part of. Created on the message boards of Vinous (Antonio Galloni’s own website), this group has become a force to be reckoned with, as each member is a long-time collector and passionate Barolo lover. With each tasting we seem to reach a new high, and this week’s focus was the cult producer Cappellano.
All of my notes are supplied below, however if you’d like to read more and see many more pictures, please visit my blog at: The Cellar Table.
Cappellano is one of the greatest producers in all of Barolo, and they’ve never received a 100, 95 or even a 90-point score from any modern-day Italian wine critic. The decision to reject the scoring of critics came from Teobaldo Cappellano in 1983, who believed winemaking a be an art form, a work of passion, and one that should not be encapsulated into a single number. Nor did he believe that it was healthy for fellow producers, seeing it as being divisive. Whether or not you or I agree with this philosophy is beside the point, simply because Cappellano has been making some of the best Barolo in the region for decades.
As for the wines, I have decided not to provide scores, but I am happy to supply a number of impressions beyond my tasting notes below. Firstly, my personal preference for sheer enjoyment factor leans toward Pie Rupestris, which is great news for myself and anyone that follows my palate, as the wines are more affordable and easier to find. Second is Cappellano’s ability to make great wines in poorer and warmer vintages, such as the ’95, ’97, ’00, ’03 and ’07. Third, that the Pie Franco displays more dark Serralunga character, while the Pie Rupestris is a wine of lifted, pure fruit and vibrancy. Lastly, that these are wines that are deceptively petite at times, yet mature into gorgeous examples of classic Barolo.
On to the wines (In the order they were tasted):
1964 Cappellano Barolo – This was absolutely magnificent. The nose alone was spellbinding in a way that only perfectly mature Barolo can be. This is one of those wines that converts you into a collector and prompts you to begin building a cellar to house a collection that may one day evolve into such gorgeous bottles of Barolo. The bouquet was exuberant and lively, showing dried cherries, hints of dusty spice, dried leaves, cedar and floral tones. On the palate, it was still lively and fresh with rich cherry and plum fruit, lifted by zest acidity and revealing hints of orange peel and minerality. An inner sweetness resonated on the finish with lingering dried fruit tones.
1971 Cappellano Barolo – The ’71 displayed a dark, haunting and perfumed bouquet of dried flowers, cherry, savory herbs, chalky minerals and spice. The depths this reached on the nose were worth the experience alone, which distracted me from its slightly disappointing performance on the palate. Notes of dried cherry, citrus rind and minerals made an appearance but with a lack of flesh, resulting in a hollow sensation. Dried-out red fruit lingered on the finish—but oh, what an incredible bouquet…
1995 Cappellano Barolo Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) – The nose was highly expressive and pretty with sweet cherries, spice and vibrant floral tones. On the palate, it displayed silky textures and perfectly resolved tannin, showing ripe raspberry fruit, along with spice and tart apple. A bump of acidity provided vibrancy going into the finish with notes of orange peel, spice and lingering hard red candy. This is easily one of the best ’95 Barolos I’ve ever tasted.
1996 Cappellano Barbaresco – I’ve had the pleasure of tasting this twice this year, and both times it was truly stunning, but tonight there was a vibrancy that the last bottle lacked. The nose was alive with dark, ripe red fruits, dusty spice, undergrowth, fresh pine and hints of cedar. On the palate, I found alluring dark ripe fruit, silky textures, and stunning inner floral tones. It lasted long on the finish, displaying a juicy, dark and ripe fruit profile.
1996 Cappellano Barolo Piè Franco Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) – The nose was dark and brooding, showing off its Serralunga roots with a mix of dark soil, iron, and dark red fruits. On the palate, rich dark red fruits flooded the senses, which were quickly assaulted by gripping tannin followed by minerals and earth tones. Its structure lingered long on the finish along with hints of drying red berry and leather.
1997 Cappellano Barolo Piè Franco Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) – The bouquet showed minerality up front, followed by tart red berry, dusty soil tones and crushed leaves. On the palate is where the ’97 Franco shined, as ripe, dark red fruits were carried by a mix of silky textures and vibrant acidity, with hints of brown spice and sweet inner floral tones. The finish was shorter than desired, turning more to unresolved tannin and dried red fruit. Still, this is a highly enjoyable wine.
1997 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) – The ’97 Pie Rupestris is everything we ever hoped the ’97 vintage would deliver—but didn’t. Here I found a rich, warm and inviting wine that was perfectly balanced and ready to drink. The nose displayed ripe black cherry, pretty floral tones, brown spice, minerals, dusty soil and undergrowth. It was silky-smooth on the palate, displaying spiced cherry, plum, inner floral tones and hints of contrasting tannin. The finish left nothing to be desired, as fine tannin faded to reveal dark red fruit, spiced orange and inner floral tones. I honestly don’t remember the last time I enjoyed a ’97 Barolo this much.
2000 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) – In the context of the evening, the 2000 Pie Rupestris didn’t stand out much, but considering the competition, it isn’t hard to see why. Here I found a dark red fruit profile, along with sweet floral tones, plum, dusty spice and minerals. It was rich on the palate yet balanced throughout, with soft red fruits that seemed to saturate the senses. It’s a fun wine, very pretty and quite good for the vintage.
2001 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) – The nose displayed airy and lifted red fruit with notes of dusty spice, menthol and licorice wrapped firmly around a mineral core. On the palate, it displayed radiant cherry and pomegranate with hints of spice and firm ’01 tannins, which provided a saturating and concentrated fruit sensation along with grip to spare. The finish resonated on fine tannin and lingering dried cherry and sweet herbs.
2003 Cappellano Barolo Piè Franco Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) – The nose was dark and almost savory with ripe red fruits, plum, raw meat and brown spice. On the palate, it displayed soft textures with sweet red berries, spice and a hint of green apple, which lent energy to an otherwise bruiser of a wine. A hint of heat was noticeable on the finish but only slightly so. It really is a great wine for the warm vintage, with excellent balance and perfectly contrasting acidity.
2007 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) - This was another great example of Cappellano’s ability to make amazingly balanced wine in warmer vintages. The nose was spicy, sweet and beautifully perfumed with ripe red fruits and floral tones. Nowhere did I find any baked qualities or heat, just pure finesse. On the palate, I found intense red fruits and spice, which seemed to saturate the senses, with a bump of brisk acidity toward the close that made the mouth water.
2008 Cappellano Barolo Piè Franco Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) – The nose was gorgeous with savory herbs giving way to black cherry, plum, undergrowth and dark floral tones. There was a cool and crisp quality here that was quite attractive as it continued to become fleshier and more expressive in the glass. On the palate, I found silky textures offset by brisk acidity with rich black cherry, sweet inner floral tones and hints of undergrowth. The finish lent a slight green stem note but resonated on red fruit and fine tannin. This is a drop-dead gorgeous wine.
2008 Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris Otin Fiorin (Gabutti) – Stunning, simply stated. The 2008 Pie Rupestris displayed a deep and rich balsamic note that was offset by cool-toned red fruits and floral notes, which presented radiance that was undeniably attractive. Its brilliant and lifted character continued on the palate, as pure red fruit and sweet spice gave way to pretty inner floral tones in a palate-filling expression with fine tannin adding grip. Balance is the key here from start to finish.
In closing, these are wines to buy in every vintage, assuming you can find them. While buying a wine without the safety net of a score and be difficult (especially in this price range), I can assure you that Cappellano is worth the hunt. I would be happy to taste any single one of these over and over again. These are wines of soul, passion and purity.
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