A cooler and deeper nose than the '95 Rupestris. Truly intoxicating florals, red fruits and balsamic nose. On the palate, expansive with tar, roses, spice in a palate flooding, yet simultaneously graceful frame. Iron fist in a velvet glove. Take the best parts of the Rupestris, distill them into more intensity, then deliver in a more graceful mode. Finishes simultaneously long and incredibly focused. Masterful. Early peak. Bravo. 97 might be stingy.
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Winorama: A winter in Wineland III; 1/4/2019-1/13/2019 (Portland/Willamette, Eureka, Napa): I wish I had taken more detailed notes on this but we drank over dinner with friends so it's more a note on general impressions. This was really wonderful though. Has a great balance between a certain lightness in the mouth and a softer wine and more of a depth of flavor. Lots of fruit still here. A wine that felt a bit versatile although I should note I ordered the duck bolognese so this was very well suited to that. Lots of spice notes. Interesting and very enjoyable.
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Beautiful floral and deep nose with tar, balsam, menthol, blacker fruit and spice. Serralunga power with grace. Rich, yet not heavy with beautiful balance, great depth, inner perfume and great length. Still very youthful but not grumpy and barely starting to hint at some secondary development. Poise, power, and grace. A terrific wine with a great future. 96 pts
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1995 Barolo with Usual Suspects: Dark purple/violet color. A different character than the rest of the wines: a slightly grapier/purple fruits nose and body. As we started, lot's of fragrance: fairly simple fruit/tar/roses but very primary and not yet complex. Flavor profile again more fruit driven, extremely youthful, beginnings of Indian spices, how can this be 16 years old again? Chunky tannins. Finish, yes, goes on. 1 hour later in the glass, and the nose gained substantially more spice and balance and complexity and perhaps more than hinted as to where this wine will end up. Give it 5-10 years more, at least.
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Still young and tannic despite its bricked color, needing all the decanting it got and then some. Actually showed less advanced than my last bottle a year or two ago. Eventually it picked up an interesting metallic rock finish and the tannin mellowed some to let some sticky fruit peek through. Still more backwards than most '95s and probably needs another decade or two, which Leo commented goes to show how much is going on in Cappellano's wines. Unfortunately, this was my last bottle. R.I.P.
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Classic pure tarry bouquet on opening and I wish we'd started on it then instead of double-decanting, as the aroma and texture became more challenging with air. The tar segued into an autumnal, woodsy scent of pine resin and the initially glossy mouthfeel showed more abrupt tannin when we drank it 2 or 3 hours after uncorking. I'd been advised this was ready to drink, but it isn't. While the flavors are already pure and transparent, this deserves just a few more years for some of that tannin to melt away.
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2/3/2023 - cct wrote: 97 Points
A cooler and deeper nose than the '95 Rupestris. Truly intoxicating florals, red fruits and balsamic nose. On the palate, expansive with tar, roses, spice in a palate flooding, yet simultaneously graceful frame. Iron fist in a velvet glove. Take the best parts of the Rupestris, distill them into more intensity, then deliver in a more graceful mode. Finishes simultaneously long and incredibly focused. Masterful. Early peak. Bravo. 97 might be stingy.
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10/1/2020 - LoireFan wrote: 93 Points
Makes me like Barolo again.
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9/21/2020 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 95 Points
Best Bottle before Clos du Mesnil Vertical Tasting (Rocaille Düsseldorf): blind
An almost perfect riped Barolo. Cherry, tar, violet, licorice and spicy notes, ripe tannins. Close to his peak. 95
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1/11/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Winorama: A winter in Wineland III; 1/4/2019-1/13/2019 (Portland/Willamette, Eureka, Napa): I wish I had taken more detailed notes on this but we drank over dinner with friends so it's more a note on general impressions. This was really wonderful though. Has a great balance between a certain lightness in the mouth and a softer wine and more of a depth of flavor. Lots of fruit still here. A wine that felt a bit versatile although I should note I ordered the duck bolognese so this was very well suited to that. Lots of spice notes. Interesting and very enjoyable.
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3/29/2014 - cct wrote: 96 Points
Beautiful floral and deep nose with tar, balsam, menthol, blacker fruit and spice. Serralunga power with grace. Rich, yet not heavy with beautiful balance, great depth, inner perfume and great length. Still very youthful but not grumpy and barely starting to hint at some secondary development. Poise, power, and grace. A terrific wine with a great future. 96 pts
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9/25/2013 - LoireFan wrote: 82 Points
Not pleasing. Disjointed.
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10/5/2012 - kenv Likes this wine: 96 Points
NK Cappellano Vertical (Maialino, Gramercy Park Hotel, NYC): Double decanted at 3pm. Stunning black fruit and spice. Exquisite tannins. Smoother than the Rupestris at this stage. Great harmony and a great future. 95-98 points.
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5/6/2011 - antiwood wrote:
1995 Barolo with Usual Suspects: Dark purple/violet color. A different character than the rest of the wines: a slightly grapier/purple fruits nose and body. As we started, lot's of fragrance: fairly simple fruit/tar/roses but very primary and not yet complex. Flavor profile again more fruit driven, extremely youthful, beginnings of Indian spices, how can this be 16 years old again? Chunky tannins. Finish, yes, goes on. 1 hour later in the glass, and the nose gained substantially more spice and balance and complexity and perhaps more than hinted as to where this wine will end up. Give it 5-10 years more, at least.
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11/17/2009 - LoireFan wrote: 92 Points
Very young but very pleasing.
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11/14/2009 - antiwood wrote:
See Levenberg's note .. except maybe the tannins are softening. I like this very much.
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2/21/2009 - Keith Levenberg wrote:
Still young and tannic despite its bricked color, needing all the decanting it got and then some. Actually showed less advanced than my last bottle a year or two ago. Eventually it picked up an interesting metallic rock finish and the tannin mellowed some to let some sticky fruit peek through. Still more backwards than most '95s and probably needs another decade or two, which Leo commented goes to show how much is going on in Cappellano's wines. Unfortunately, this was my last bottle. R.I.P.
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9/18/2007 - Keith Levenberg wrote:
Classic pure tarry bouquet on opening and I wish we'd started on it then instead of double-decanting, as the aroma and texture became more challenging with air. The tar segued into an autumnal, woodsy scent of pine resin and the initially glossy mouthfeel showed more abrupt tannin when we drank it 2 or 3 hours after uncorking. I'd been advised this was ready to drink, but it isn't. While the flavors are already pure and transparent, this deserves just a few more years for some of that tannin to melt away.
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