Cappellano Barolo Pie Rupestris

Since the pernicious vine disease flavescenza dorata decimated Cappellano’s small holdings in the nearby town of Novello a few vintages back, their three hectares in the cru Gabutti are all that remain. And, of those three hectares, the Nebbiolo planted on the lower third of the slope is used entirely for their fabled Barolo Chinato—meaning that this Barolo comprises only the heart of their holding, from vines planted in the late 1940s. “Pie Rupestris” combines stony power, firm structure, and pure, soaring fruit in a manner that creates wonderful tension, yet the overall impression is one of seamless harmony. [NOTE: Cappellano excludes the word “Gabutti” from the label in protest of the expansion of the cru’s boundaries some years back.]