Eight Decades of Cappellano Barolo: 1935-2011

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | MAY 30, 2017

Cappellano's Barolos represent the very best of the artisan tradition in Piedmont. This recent retrospective back to 1935 was truly unforgettable. Tiny production and insatiable demand makes large-scale Cappellano verticals exceedingly rare. When all was said and done, we tasted a number of extraordinary, deeply moving wines, including several reference points as well as most of the modern-day classics that have emerged from these cellars recently.

Collector Ed Zimmerman, musician Chris Thile and Mannie Berk of the Rare Wine Co. organized the tasting dinner with meticulous attention to detail. Most of the attendees, a who’s who of sommeliers, wine writers and collectors, contributed wines from their own cellars to form what was a truly stellar lineup. This was the second fabulous dinner I have had in Eleven Madison Park’s private dining room recently. For whatever reason or reasons, I have consistently had better meals here as a guest than when we have hosted events in this same space.

Augusto Cappellano in his small cellar, Serralunga d’Alba" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1496157069582-screenshot_2017-05-30_10.59.46_720+copy.png">

Augusto Cappellano in his small cellar, Serralunga d’Alba

Cappellano Past and Present

Baldo Cappellano answered the door the first time I rang the bell at this tiny estate in Serralunga many years ago. The gentle giant of Barolo, Cappellano was a man of firmly held convictions who spoke with poetry and understated passion rather than volume. Today, Baldo’s son, Augusto Cappellano, runs the estate following the same general aesthetic steeped in tradition that has defined these wines for decades. Augusto Cappellano has ushered in some small refinements, such as bottling his Barolo with one year less in cask than his father favored, a decision taken to counter the effects of climate change, and replaced some of the older botti in the cellar. Otherwise, things don’t feel like they have changed all that much here over the years. 

For most of its history, Cappellano’s reputation was inextricably linked with Barolo Chinato, the medicinal tonic made from Barolo wine steeped with tree bark and herbs that Baldo Cappellano’s great uncle, Giuseppe, invented in the late 1800s. When I first started visiting Baldo Cappellano back in the early days of Piedmont Report, the Barolos were completely unknown to all but a few hardcore Piedmont devotees and easy to find. I still remember receiving calls and emails of gratitude after I published my first reviews of these wines from a handful of Barolo fans. There was literally nothing out there on these wines.

When I moved to New York City after graduate school, in 2005, I was shocked to see the Cappellano Barolos languish in the market. I bought the 1994s, 1995s and 1996s at Chambers Street Wines on close out for less than $30 a bottle. That is not a typo. Amazingly, those wines were around at the same prices for quite some time. Fast forward to today. Cappellano's Barolos fly off the shelves, even in nearby Alba, usually allocated to one bottle per customer, or are drunk with rabid passion in Piedmont’s restaurants as soon as they appear. Times have certainly changed. For more historical background, including a discussion of the two Barolos Cappellano makes today, readers might want to revisit my article Cappellano: The 2010 Barolos, published in 2015.

The Tasting