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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.4 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 79 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Richard P Howden on 5/10/2024: Sadly, an off bottle. Bitten by the 2006 Cappellano bug! Corked, kind of dead and shot. (182 views) | | | Tasted by Danette on 5/2/2024: Flawed. Many of the other tasting notes are very similar. (321 views) | | | Tasted by NostraBacchus on 4/14/2024: This was a bottle that seemed oxidized first, but „recovered“ a little with more air, even if this doesn‘t make much sense. Mature notes of old-school Barolo, similar to some of my last bottles, it‘s not my best but also not my worst bottle of this, showing the silky texture and finesse Cappellano can show when it‘s on, but also a little too much oxidation for my personal taste. Still enjoyable to drink a glass or two, clearly inferior to Elio Grasso Barolo Gavarini Chiniera 2004 and Brovia Barolo Ca‘Mia 2004 on this day though. (635 views) | | | Tasted by asheio on 4/12/2024 & rated 92 points: Last bottle, quite similar to the previous. Great fruit, solid tannins. (496 views) | | | Tasted by kenv on 3/13/2024: 2006 Barolo (Trattoria One Fifth, NYC.): [Double-decanted for one hour around 10am.] Muted nose of black fruit and brown sugar. Mature but complex and long. Too advanced for this wine after only 18 years. I hope this was just an off bottle. Others in the group said they've had this with random bottles of this wine. (878 views) | | | Tasted by NickyBull on 1/10/2024 & rated 93 points: Decanted 4 hours prior, poured very clean with classic Barolo pale orange color. Enjoyed the bottle atTre Scalini in Bethlehem. Glad I have more. (1023 views) | | | Tasted by Collector1855 on 10/22/2023 flawed bottle: The nose was too maderized to be scored. The palate was nice and polished though. (1768 views) | | | Tasted by aagrawal on 7/7/2023: Stood up for months and decanted off 2oz of well settled sediment. Light garnet, age-appropriate bricking; aromatic, soy and balsamic, some roses, some black fruit; palate is light bodied, high acidity, very high and prominent tannins throughout, balanced 14.5% alcohol, some soy notes; finish is medium length, tannic. This is more youthful than my other bottles, tasted after an hour opened but needs more air or more age. This is nice, but it lacks the Cappellano magic and that was likely true for all three bottles i bought and drank. (1551 views) | | | Tasted by Papies on 3/25/2023 & rated 90 points: A very classic Barolo here. We did not decant barring on last minute as it felt well evolved and touch fragile. Full on classic, soft tar, dark cherry, light spice. Well earthy and well evolved and we wonder if this is now drinking at peak. Good wine. 90 (2023 views) | | | Tasted by David Paris (dbp) on 1/29/2023 flawed bottle: First bottle of this for me in 9 years and the first of a solid case opened tonight. Opened for a group tasting and everyone deemed the wine flawed with too much volatile acidity. This was in a lineup of 26 bottles of wine, most of which were finished, and this still had 5 ounces left in it for the next day... not the usual for a Cappellano. Nevertheless, here's the note on those following 5 ounces the next day: This thing had layers and layers of scoby like sediment that was just gnarly. I'll need to make sure to filter future bottles. What's left is quite light, see through in color. The aromas are almost entirely volatile acidity, and you really can't smell past that to much fruit at all. Palate is light, in body, showing a massive attack of acidity, some soft pruney like fruit, and certainly plenty of tannin. Same on the finish... just intense, gnarly acidity throughout. I am generally not the guy who calls "Too much VA!" on wines, as it usually doesn't bother me, but this is all there is. I'll try to pop another relatively soon to see what else is cookin' in this case. A real disappointment. (1983 views) | | | Tasted by KeithAkers on 1/28/2023 flawed bottle: A very DP Birthday party (DP's, Goose Hollow, Portland OR): Sadly, this had some serious VA issues. You could tell the quality of the wine that was there, but the volatility really made it difficult to do more than smell out of curiosity. (1928 views) | | | Tasted by sburtt on 12/26/2022 & rated 93 points: not at the lvl of the prev bottle, maybe affected by the cork, but still a lovely drink in a mature nice spot (1718 views) | | | Tasted by NoTrollingerPlease on 11/27/2022 & rated 94 points: Glass: Zalto Burgundy
Popped and poured, drunk over three days. Clear, medium garnet with tawny reflexes. Clean, medium+ intense nose. Rose petals, underbrush, tar mixed with fine red fruit. Beautiful perfume.
Dry, high-acidity, well integrated and balances the 14,5% abv perfectly. High, ripe and mellow tannin. Very fresh, lots of red cherries, liquorice, tar, espresso powder. Very elegant, beautiful texture and balance, wonderful tension. Long, fine and elegant finish with dominating red fruit. Potential for at least another decade. 93-94 (1844 views) | | | Tasted by acyso on 9/18/2022: Pausing for the Cause 2022 (Part 2) (Chicago, IL): A much, much better bottle of 2006 than the one I drank in Barolo(!). This was initially a little muted and volatile, but I double decanted it a few hours before service, which definitely cleaned up the wine a lot. To be sure, this still has a bit of volatility, with a little bit of iron as well. Very nice herbal elements, as well as lifted red fruit. I'm amply pleased to note that this bottle wasn't consistent with my prior experiences, but unfortunately I don't have many bottles of this particular wine left either. (2773 views) | | | Tasted by NostraBacchus on 8/6/2022 & rated 96 points: We seem to be lucky tonight and have a really nice bottle, not oxidation or other flaws. A pretty rare treat in Cappellano 2006.
This is showing a healthy color of ruby with some bricking towards the rim. Beautifully perfumed, with notes of red cherries, tar, some violets, also some tobacco leaf, graphite, some licorice, etc. It‘s medium-full bodied, has medium-high tannin that isi exceptionally silky, and also some medium+ acidity adding some tension. Good length and very good complexity. What a beautiful Barolo. Too bad, bottle variation is all over the place. (2400 views) | | | Tasted by drwine2001 on 7/12/2022: Muddy reddish brown. Huge volatile acidity and mintiness on the nose. Rounder and better on the attack than I expected. Some black fruit, high acidity, and then a frankly dirty, tannic, mineral finish. Funky, old fashioned, and not particularly pleasant to drink. In fact, hard to have more than a few sips.
After being recorked in the cellar for 18 hours, still quite a bit of VA, but the fennel, mushroom, and brown spice have really come up. Much more sappy and heady on the palate, and I'll be damned if the fruit didn't become noticeably sweeter. Finish is still tannic and drenched with soil. OK, you really have to appreciate some old fashioned idiosyncrasies to love this (and personally, I wouldn't go that far), but what an object lesson in the magical effect of air on Nebbiolo. (2422 views) | | | Tasted by Derek Darth Taster on 7/5/2022 & rated 93 points: Cappellano dinner at Jade.
Appearance sediments, medium intensity, garnet colour. Legs.
Nose closed, coaxed out a medium- intensity aromas of some ripe red cherries and maybe spice. Slumbering.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14.5%), structured high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity after air, with flavours of ripe red cherries, ripe red plums, spice. Super long finish.
Very good quality, but not a vintage for this to be broached yet. Needs more time again. (2266 views) | | | Tasted by aagrawal on 4/26/2022: Dinner with the wine group (Zazie's, San Francisco): Stood up for months, significant amount of caked sediment on the side of the bottle (unusual for Barolo at this age for it to be so large), decanted off. Light ruby, significant bricking at the edge consistent with mature nebbiolo; high intensity aromatics, balsamic/soy, some tar, some blackberry and roses; palate is light bodied, fine grained tannins are integrated but still present, fresh high acidity throughout, balanced medium-plus alcohol (14.5%), certainly some tertiary soy notes with much less primary fruit though still with some perception of sweetness; finish is medium length. Similar to my last bottle, this is certainly fully mature (which may seem atypical at this age), but nothing about it seems over the hill and it is very enjoyable.
4 hours double decanted (in bottle). Continues to be an elegant, balanced, fully mature nose with plenty of soy and tamari; palate is pretty similar to before. Nice mature Cappellano, maybe a bit before its time but similar to my last bottle and very enjoyable now. One left, will open it in the next few years.
7 hours double decanted: lovely aromatics, similar to previous with no fading whatsoever. This was quite lovely, on par with 2008 in quality but a fully mature example.
Day 2: Still lovely tertiary aromatics, palate has some more prominent tannins but still with a sweet fruit and balsamic quality to it. The tannins are much better with food, and overall this hasn't really declined since yesterday (but also hasn't improved much). For future bottles, some moderate air (double decanting for a few hours) is appropriate. (2531 views) | | | Tasted by asheio on 4/12/2022 & rated 91 points: Looks like people have very mixed experiences with this particular vintage for Cappellano. However, this bottle was quite perfect and showing the rustic vintage character. Still very youthful. I only wonder whether the tannins will outlive the fruit. (2044 views) | | | Tasted by MAXIMUM SATISFACTION on 11/24/2021 & rated 96 points: Ripe cherries right upon opening but started to structure/firm up with time. More rustic than more recent vintages but still clean red fruit along with accents of menthol, pine, mineral and herbs. I’m thinking it’s close to peak but be if it’s from 2-3 hours decanting.
My recommendation is to set this upright for a few days before opening as the sediment here was unreal. (2771 views) | | | Tasted by NostraBacchus on 11/7/2021: The color seems pretty advanced once again, but the wine is alive and showing beautiful aromatics, even if everything seems 10-15 years older than it actually is. Very aromatic, with notes of pine tree, menthol, forest floor and dried leaves, black tea, dark and dark red berries, tar, leather and also some herbal Chinato notes. There is also a mix of brown spices, as well as some brown sugar. It‘s pretty full-bodied, with high acidity and medium+ tannin that seems silky and smooth. Pretty long finish with plenty of elegance. Even while a little too advanced, this was still a pleasure to drink and showcasing the Cappellano style with silkiness and classicism. Still probably time to drink up…. (2757 views) | | | Tasted by GBFan on 10/26/2021 & rated 98 points: A great, classic old-style Serralunga Barolo from a great vintage. The nose is spectacular. It still had some tannin at the outset, but that resolved quickly. Deeply flavored, elegant and very long. This emphasizes secondary flavors rather than fruit. There is enough of a dead leaves character to give the wine a lot of interest without so much that it goes over the edge. Reminded me of an old Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia. One of the greatest Barolos in my experience. (2527 views) | | | Tasted by Traxx on 10/7/2021: Opened and poured a small amount off at noon, was thin, brown and not very encouraging... four hours later the color has flushed out, the wine has filled out and is in a great place. Beats me if similar treatment would help with the other flawed bottles mentioned, but it did wonders here.
Drink or hold, no where near peak based on this bottle, but I also expect we're in the plateau of at least middle age. (2401 views) | | | Tasted by rSyver on 9/26/2021 & rated 91 points: Again- mirrors my previous note, just lovely state at the moment. I really like when these wines put on the more mature tones while some of the youth is still there. To me this has not the roughness you might find in some -06. (2296 views) | | | Tasted by sburtt on 8/1/2021 & rated 98 points: Not sure but this might be the highest score I ever gave on CellarTracker! This is the 2nd bottle of a case of 6. The 1st was great, but this bottle tonight was truly magical! One of those bottles that make time stop! Very different from my previous bottle about 1 year ago, this wine is now entering a more mature spot. Insanely classic, austere nose, perfectly balanced with a palate that never fails, long and complex. Constantly changing over the course of the night. Simply Beautiful! (2188 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Cappellano Producer WebsiteNebbioloNebbiolo is a red grape indigenous to the Piedmont region of Italy in the Northwest. The grape can also be found in other parts of the world, though they are not as respected.
Nebbiolo is often considered the "king of red wines," as it is the grape of the famed wines of Barolo DOCG, Barbaresco DOCG, and Roero DOCG. It is known for high tannins and acidity, but with a distinct finesse. When grown on clay, Nebbiolo can be very powerful, tannic, and require long aging periods to reach its full potential. When grown on sand, the grape exhibits a more approachable body with more elegant fruit and less tannins, but still has high aging potential.
"Nebbiolo" is named for the Italian word, "nebbia", which means "fog", in Italian and rightfully so since there is generally a lot of fog in the foothills of Piedmont during harvest.
Nebbiolo is a late-ripening variety that does best in a continental climate that boasts moderate summers and long autumns. In Piedmont, Nebbiolo is normally harvested in October.
More links:
Varietal character (Appellation America) | Nebbiolo on CellarTrackerOtin Fiorin (Gabutti) On weinlagen-infoItaly Italian Wines (ItalianMade.com, The Italian Trade Commission) | Italian Wine Guide on the WineDoctorPiedmont Vignaioli Piemontesi (Italian only)
On weinlagen-infoLanghe Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Roero | Union of Producers of Albese Wines (Albeisa)BaroloRegional History:
The wines of Piedmont are noted as far back as Pliny's Natural History. Due to geographic and political isolation, Piedmont was without a natural port for most of its history, which made exportation treacherous and expensive. This left the Piedmontese with little incentive to expand production. Sixteenth-century records show a mere 14% of the Bassa Langa under vine -- most of that low-lying and farmed polyculturally. In the nineteenth century the Marchesa Falletti, a frenchwoman by birth, brought eonologist Louis Oudart from Champagne to create the first dry wines in Piemonte. Along with work in experimental vineyards at Castello Grinzane conducted by Camilo Cavour -- later Conte di Cavour, leader of the Risorgimento and first Prime Minister of Italy -- this was the birth of modern wine in the Piedmont. At the heart of the region and her reputation are Alba and the Langhe Hills. This series of weathered outcroppings south of the Tanaro River is of maritime origin and composed mainly of limestone, sand and clay, known as terra bianca. In these soils -located mainly around the towns of Barolo and Barbaresco -- the ancient allobrogica, now Nebbiolo, achieves its renowned fineness and power.
map of Barolo DOCG
An interesting thread on Traditional vs. Modern Barolo producers:
https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=106291 |
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