1994 Cappellano Barolo Otin Fiorin
Brought this bottle to Maialino in NYC, and I should have brought it to the restaurant early in the day to have them stand it up. Biggest problem at first was the sediment. I asked our waitress to strain the bottle into a decanter, and that solved the problem. The nose had some oxidative qualities at first that turned sweet and fragrant. On the palate were sweet raspberries and florals with leather and dried cranberries on the deliciously long finish. It was very much alive with no deterioration as it sat in the decanter for the duration of our dinner. It was a lovely wine.
2004 Cappellano Barbera D'Alba Gabutti
Opened 2 hours before tonight's dinner. A young, full bodied Barbera with a nose of leather and florals. The palate instantly shows sour cherries, but then tar and roses and a piercing acidity that remains on the palate. This wine has tons of life left, but what a pleasure tonight. We enjoyed it with tagliolini and a mixture of wild mushrooms finished with a drizzle of truffle oil and a dusting of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. This wine definitely needs the right food, and we had it.
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