1968&nbsp;Cappellano BaroloBY ANTONIO GALLONI | NOVEMBER 25, 2019&nbsp;

I was very fortunate to run into this exquisite bottle of Cappellano’s
1968 Barolo recently. As it turns out, I had just visited the estate that
very morning, so I was in a Cappellano state of mind. Drinking the 1968 took me
back to my early days visiting Piedmont, when I would do little mini-immersions
into the wines of specific producers in order to try to gain a deeper
understanding of specific wineries. That’s a little harder to do these days
given the rarity and cost of so many bottles, but every now and then you get
lucky.&nbsp;

<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1574697801968-IMG_2954_copy.jpg">

I am always a bit apprehensive with older wines, as so many
bottles from this era were not stored properly. As soon as the 1968 is served I
see my apprehension in this case is unwarranted. A bright, translucent red, the
1968 is utterly mesmerizing from the first taste. Blood orange, cinnamon, star
anise, kirsch, mint and sweet pipe tobacco all life effortlessly from the
glass. Delicate and haunting in its beauty, with striking exoticism, the 1968
is simply exquisite. Of course, at 50+ years of age, the 1968 is fully mature
and a touch fragile. Readers lucky enough to come across bottles will want to
enjoy them sooner rather than later.

Many years ago, when I was writing Piedmont Report, I
promised Baldo Cappellano I would honor his request not to rate his wines
numerically. Cappellano’s view was that scores were divisive among growers. At
the time, I could have never imagined what Piedmont Report would lead
to, or what Piedmont itself would become. I would not make the same decision
today, but this is why the 1968 Barolo, like all Cappellano wines in our
database, appears without a score. NR/Drink: 2019.

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