2021 Cappellano - Barolo Pie Rupestris (750ml)

Cappellano is one of Barolo's most storied estates, founded in Serralunga d'Alba in 1870 and still farmed by the same family five generations later under Augusto Cappellano. His father, the legendary Teobaldo, known simply as Baldo, revived the estate in the 1970s after a difficult postwar period and became one of the region's great traditionalist winemakers, an early champion of organic farming who famously refused to let critics score his wines. The family also produces Barolo Chinato, a spiced, fortified wine invented by an earlier generation and still made from a closely guarded recipe.

Pie Rupestris comes from the Gabutti vineyard in Serralunga d'Alba, one of Barolo's most respected crus, planted with Nebbiolo grafted onto American rootstock. The estate farms organically and keeps its winemaking deliberately old-fashioned: grapes are destemmed, then undergo long fermentation and maceration with native yeasts and minimal sulfur. The wine ages for years in large old botti before bottling without filtration, a process built to preserve the vineyard's raw character rather than smooth it over.

This Barolo shows a powerful, structured character, with layers of dark fruit, flowers, and earth alongside notes of licorice, tar, and forest floor. The palate is full-bodied and firmly tannic, with real depth and a long, evolving finish that rewards patience. It pairs well with braised meats, aged cheeses, or dishes built around mushrooms and truffle.