Cappellano: The 2010 Barolos

Time marches to its own beat at Cappellano, where the wines remain imbued with an elegant classicism that is all their own. Over the years I have had the good fortune to taste and drink many of the estate’s older Barolos, including a recent bottle of the 1989 that was sublime. The focus was on younger wines during my most recent visit. The 2010s and 2013s are firm, ageworthy Barolos for classicists, while the 2011s and 2012s will delight readers who appreciate riper styles and those of us who need something to drink while the more structured vintages blossom in the cellar. The 2010s, the only wines I tasted from bottle, are set to be released within the next few weeks.

It’s impossible to visit Cappellano and not feel the real gravitas of time and history. The tasting room is filled with treasured family photos, numerous accolades and prizes from decades past and countless older bottles that document the estate’s rich lineage.

Cappellano traces its history back to 1870, although the Cappellano of today is much different than that of the past. In the late 1960s, Baldo Cappellano found himself running a large enterprise with around 60 hectares of vineyards focused on volume production. Numerous family members, heirs and outside partners were involved. Cappellano yearned for a simpler and more artisan life, so he sold off the family’s holdings and old cellar and moved to the site of the current winery, which was then in the middle of the Serralunga countryside.

While he completed work on his new facility, Cappellano made his Barolos in the cellars of friends. From the early 1970s until 1989 the Cappellano Barolos were made from purchased fruit, mostly from the Baudana, Parafada and Gabutti vineyards in Serralunga.

The Cappellano cupboard is filled with old bottles that paint a telling portrait of the estate’s rich history. Where can I get some of that Super Barolo?