A memorable old wine & a terrific young one

Teobaldo Cappellano was a gentle giant (He passed away in 2010 at much to early an age). I had the pleasure of meeting him when my wife and I visited his estate in 2008. A friend and terrific wine writer, Alice Feiring, first told me about “Baldo” and suggested that I visit him. She said I would love his wines as they are traditional and amongst the best Baroli you can find in Italy. She was right. I tasted his 2004 & 2005 from the barrel and they were wonderful expressions of old world wine making. The wines displayed incredible purity, balance and earthiness on the palate. They had soul. While I was very impressed with the wines, I was even more impressed by Baldo, a striking figure, well over 6 feet tall with a very mild, gentile and as I perceived sagacious manner. He spoke of the importance of quality ingredients prepared with simplicity, i.e. don’t mess with what Mother Nature has given us, rather help her to express it. His wines certainly underscored his comments. So I began to buy his wines and enjoy them. A few months ago I had an opportunity to purchase a few bottles of his 1964 Barolo from Chambers Street Wines. As providence would have it the day the wine arrived, my good friend Gino (who is in the wine business and is very knowledgeable regarding wine, especially old vintages) stopped by. The 1964 Cappellano Barolo was all I needed to convince him to join my wife and I at dinner that evening. Older bottles of wine are often a crapshoot. Well if this were craps, we kept rolling sevens and elevens. Upon opening, the wine had a rust brown hue as one expects from older wines. The nose and first sip enticed our senses. Within an hour, the rust brown was now a strawberry red that deepened as time passed, something neither of us have ever experienced before. In the second hour the wine became more translucent in color and on the palate it just soared. We were swooped up and transported to Piedmonte. Here was Mother Nature preserved for 47 years. The wine was simply delicious and awesome. It was easily the best old Barolo either of us has ever drunk. The wine continued to evolve with each sip bringing a new delight. This was truly a magnificent wine experience. I only wish I had purchased more than 3 bottles as there appear to me no more around. Fortunately his current wines are available and if you like the wines of Bartolo Mascarello, Giuseppe Rinaldi, Aldo Conterno, Giacomo Contero and Bruno Giacosa you would do well to add Cappellano to your cellar as his wines are of the same caliber.

Louis Dressner an importer of traditionally made wines is the importer of Cappellano wines. He also is the importer of the wines of Alice and Olivier de Moor from the Chablis region of Burgundy in France. Their wines are terrific and a great value. Prior to dinner we drank a 2007 De Moor Chablis Bel Air et Clardy. The wine showed a wonderful balance and purity on the palate with a lengthy citrus finish. $22. Available at Chambers Street Wines.

BTW, if you have not read Alice’s book The Battle for Wine and Love: or How I Saved the World from Parkerization, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. It is a must read for any wine lover.

Until next time,
Saluté