Giacosa Riservas and Cappellano Francos (Hearth Restaurant, NYC): [Double-decanted around 9am.] Big smoky red fruit nose. Tannic with high alcohol. Juicy red fruit. A little concerned that this has too much tannin and alcohol for the fruit. But it might show better if it was not in this company.
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Return to Napa; 3/6/2022-3/13/2022 (Wineries and various restaurants): I'll admit I had hoped for a bit more from this wine. Producer is one of my favorites although year a bit tougher I think. This was fine but it lacks some of that elegance and vibrancy that I find in other wines from the producer. It's red fruit and a bit dusty and maybe a touch of floral. Drinks totally fine, but I'd hoped for a bit more.
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this was an incredible experience, I opened the wine at 7pm and drink after 1 hour until 10:30pm, but the despite the palate being pleasant with good complexity and flavour, the nose was very funky, I thought mildly corked and guests didn't appreciate, despite an underneath complexity. I re-corked and left the wine in the fridge, the following evening the nose was perfectly normal and the wine showing great, very difficult bottle but overall a nice experience, the complexity and balance are there, but in a more soft manner compared to greater vintages
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Not showing the pruny/sweet notes of the vintage, but not offering the nuance and complexity this bottling usually shows even in other warm years (e.g. 2007/2009)
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Soft and floral and red fruits and baking spice. Still has that drying characteristic that the Rupestris had as well. Very intense. Needs a lot more time (despite the double decant and 5 hours of air).
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Soaring aromatics. Florals, cherries that melt in your mouth, and then you are left with lingering taste of dark cherries. A stunning wine that does not show any heat from the vintage. Our lunch wine at Marta that I drank with their delicious braised oxtail pizza.
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Similar notes to my previous bottle. Slow-O over night and it was really showing well for dinner. Fruit tones showing the heat of the vintage, but classically balanced and without a doubt a star in this particular vintage. Dark savory tones with a flutter of roses.
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Cappellano Vertical (Lusardi’s Restaurant, NYC): [Double-decanted at 12:30pm.] Black fruit nose. Silky and delicious in the mouth. Has great fruit and balance. One of the wines of the vintage.
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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.
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PNP. Blossomed the moment it hit the glass and kept evolving with each sip. This was a classic Cappellano with great balance, finesse, complexity and elegance.
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Five Cappellano Baroli with Piedmont inspired cuisine: This wine looked totally different from all the others... very brown, dark, and baked looking. Kind of thin, too. The aromas were very odd for a "young" Barolo, but it is 2003, after all. Stewed, almost oxidized notes dominate. If I try, some tart, light red fruits are present too. The palate texture is on thee thinner side and the flavors are quite lean, tart, and tannic. The body is fairly smooth, but there's just not much there. Really nice dial up of acid on the finish, though. Quite puckering and lean, in fact. There's a slight bit of dried fruits here and light, fresh raspberries. Overall this wine is already feeling a little bit tired. The only interesting part of it was the finish, and otherwise it's seeming too much affected by the heat of the vintage. I don't see this improving from here (amazing for such a young wine), but so it goes in '03.
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Even in an average year, this wine is fabulous. Identifiable as Barolo by the nose and then it parts company with the more mainstream producers due to its soft mouth feel, evolutionary layers, depth and a finish that explodes with soft tannins, acid, menthol and ripe reddish black fruit. What a great experience.
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Slow O'd for 5 hours before enjoying over the next 5 hours. Slight bricky color with classic Serralunga character, notes of balsamic, soy, and savory tones while still staying quite aromatic and pretty. After about 7 hours of being open the nose disappeared for almost an hour. After the "dumb" phase it opened back up with a nose of forest floor and macerated to almost stewed black cherries. It was very interested and enjoyable to watch this wine develop over a long period of time. I can only venture to guess that it went through the "dumb" phase because of the reductive style of winemaking that they do at Cappellano.
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Ripe and almost reaching overripe fruit with Serralunga perfume. Menthol, rose petals, deeper cherry fruits, and spice. There is a slightly noticeable roasted nature to the fruit, but less so than most 03's. Round and broad yet structured, with excellent depth and length. Powerful but not brutish, and well balanced. There are fine ripe tannins on back end that seem in balance. overall a success for the vintage. Better served a touch cool. Maybe a little more finesse than the Rupestris, but seeming a little hotter with the fruit seeming little roasted. I prefer the Rupestris at this stage, but both seem to be a relative success for the vintage. I think this has the balance to pull through into something fine in time, but time will tell. 91pts
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Quite developed appearance, medium dark with an orange hue. Sweet-sour aromas of cherries and bonfire. Perfumed on the nose with a whiff of compost. Warm and pleasant smell. Perfumed on the entry, pleasant taste of cherries, medium + body. Present and pleasant tannins. Powerful on the palate and with long-lasting aftertaste. Harmonious and masculine.
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5/16/2024 - kenv Likes this wine: 92 Points
Giacosa Riservas and Cappellano Francos (Hearth Restaurant, NYC): [Double-decanted around 9am.] Big smoky red fruit nose. Tannic with high alcohol. Juicy red fruit. A little concerned that this has too much tannin and alcohol for the fruit. But it might show better if it was not in this company.
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5/30/2023 - sburtt wrote: 93 Points
freschezza incredibile per un 2003, grande vino
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6/18/2022 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine:
Burlotto Barolo Tasting + X (Freiheit Vinothek, Ulm, Germany): Wonderful experience. Unfiltered, garnet color with orange rim. Fully developed, tertiary aromas, underbrush, dried petals, amazing acidity, fine tannin, long finish. Beautiful. 93
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3/7/2022 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Return to Napa; 3/6/2022-3/13/2022 (Wineries and various restaurants): I'll admit I had hoped for a bit more from this wine. Producer is one of my favorites although year a bit tougher I think. This was fine but it lacks some of that elegance and vibrancy that I find in other wines from the producer. It's red fruit and a bit dusty and maybe a touch of floral. Drinks totally fine, but I'd hoped for a bit more.
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6/26/2021 - Tony Ling Likes this wine: 94 Points
18 hours of slox-ox upon serving into Zalto Burgundy glass (“Fruit” into “Root” day): Pale ruby with orange tints.
Pure rose petals and high toned red cherry and berry fruits.
Very nicely mellow though not without structure.
94-95 points easy.
Second round: floral and earthy, mossy notes now. Seaweed, tarry and rosehip notes too.
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12/31/2018 - sburtt wrote: 92 Points
this was an incredible experience, I opened the wine at 7pm and drink after 1 hour until 10:30pm, but the despite the palate being pleasant with good complexity and flavour, the nose was very funky, I thought mildly corked and guests didn't appreciate, despite an underneath complexity. I re-corked and left the wine in the fridge, the following evening the nose was perfectly normal and the wine showing great, very difficult bottle but overall a nice experience, the complexity and balance are there, but in a more soft manner compared to greater vintages
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3/31/2018 - ubercuvee wrote:
Not showing the pruny/sweet notes of the vintage, but not offering the nuance and complexity this bottling usually shows even in other warm years (e.g. 2007/2009)
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10/16/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Soft and floral and red fruits and baking spice. Still has that drying characteristic that the Rupestris had as well. Very intense. Needs a lot more time (despite the double decant and 5 hours of air).
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10/14/2017 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Soaring aromatics. Florals, cherries that melt in your mouth, and then you are left with lingering taste of dark cherries. A stunning wine that does not show any heat from the vintage. Our lunch wine at Marta that I drank with their delicious braised oxtail pizza.
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9/11/2016 - CADomer Likes this wine: 93 Points
Similar notes to my previous bottle. Slow-O over night and it was really showing well for dinner. Fruit tones showing the heat of the vintage, but classically balanced and without a doubt a star in this particular vintage. Dark savory tones with a flutter of roses.
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12/15/2015 - kenv Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cappellano Vertical (Lusardi’s Restaurant, NYC): [Double-decanted at 12:30pm.] Black fruit nose. Silky and delicious in the mouth. Has great fruit and balance. One of the wines of the vintage.
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12/15/2015 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 92 Points
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.
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8/1/2015 - cardsandwine Likes this wine:
PNP. Blossomed the moment it hit the glass and kept evolving with each sip. This was a classic Cappellano with great balance, finesse, complexity and elegance.
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5/25/2014 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 89 Points
Five Cappellano Baroli with Piedmont inspired cuisine: This wine looked totally different from all the others... very brown, dark, and baked looking. Kind of thin, too. The aromas were very odd for a "young" Barolo, but it is 2003, after all. Stewed, almost oxidized notes dominate. If I try, some tart, light red fruits are present too. The palate texture is on thee thinner side and the flavors are quite lean, tart, and tannic. The body is fairly smooth, but there's just not much there. Really nice dial up of acid on the finish, though. Quite puckering and lean, in fact. There's a slight bit of dried fruits here and light, fresh raspberries. Overall this wine is already feeling a little bit tired. The only interesting part of it was the finish, and otherwise it's seeming too much affected by the heat of the vintage. I don't see this improving from here (amazing for such a young wine), but so it goes in '03.
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3/30/2014 - randyjc wrote: 93 Points
Even in an average year, this wine is fabulous. Identifiable as Barolo by the nose and then it parts company with the more mainstream producers due to its soft mouth feel, evolutionary layers, depth and a finish that explodes with soft tannins, acid, menthol and ripe reddish black fruit. What a great experience.
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2/2/2014 - CADomer Likes this wine: 93 Points
Slow O'd for 5 hours before enjoying over the next 5 hours. Slight bricky color with classic Serralunga character, notes of balsamic, soy, and savory tones while still staying quite aromatic and pretty. After about 7 hours of being open the nose disappeared for almost an hour. After the "dumb" phase it opened back up with a nose of forest floor and macerated to almost stewed black cherries. It was very interested and enjoyable to watch this wine develop over a long period of time. I can only venture to guess that it went through the "dumb" phase because of the reductive style of winemaking that they do at Cappellano.
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11/27/2013 - cct wrote: 91 Points
Ripe and almost reaching overripe fruit with Serralunga perfume. Menthol, rose petals, deeper cherry fruits, and spice. There is a slightly noticeable roasted nature to the fruit, but less so than most 03's. Round and broad yet structured, with excellent depth and length. Powerful but not brutish, and well balanced. There are fine ripe tannins on back end that seem in balance. overall a success for the vintage. Better served a touch cool. Maybe a little more finesse than the Rupestris, but seeming a little hotter with the fruit seeming little roasted. I prefer the Rupestris at this stage, but both seem to be a relative success for the vintage. I think this has the balance to pull through into something fine in time, but time will tell. 91pts
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4/28/2013 - fdusonchet Likes this wine: 92 Points
Joli vin
Bouche fine et confitte
Nez sur la fleure séchée le canfre et le bois noble
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3/7/2012 - GuWin wrote: 93 Points
Quite developed appearance, medium dark with an orange hue. Sweet-sour aromas of cherries and bonfire. Perfumed on the nose with a whiff of compost. Warm and pleasant smell. Perfumed on the entry, pleasant taste of cherries, medium + body. Present and pleasant tannins. Powerful on the palate and with long-lasting aftertaste. Harmonious and masculine.
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