Cappellano: Winemaking, 8 Exotic Bottles, Prices (2024)

Cappellano, an iconic Italian wine estate, is known for its classic “old style” Barolo wines marked by captivating dried rose and truffle aromas. 

Miniscule production quantities also ensure that these fine bottles are always on the radar of serious wine collectors. 

Let’s dive into the world of Cappellano and discover its inspiring history, traditional winemaking methods, and the best Cappellano wines to invest in 2024.

We’ll also show you a smart way to invest in these fine Italian wines.

A Quick Intro To The Cappellano Winery

The Cappellano winery is situated in the Serralunga d’Alba region of Langhe in Piedmont. 

Although it was founded in the late 1800s, it was in the 1960s that the estate reached the pinnacle of success - under legendary traditionalist winemaker, the late Teobaldo Cappellano. 

He’s known to have stuck to time-tested winemaking processes, and even refused journalists’ entry into the winery if they were to write reviews and scores. Hence Cappellano wines weren’t scored for around 30 years.

Today, the fifth-generation wine grower of the Cappellano family, Augusto Cappellano, manages the wine estate.

It is known for its high-quality Barolo wines produced using traditional winemaking methods like using indigenous yeasts for fermentation from authentic Italian grape varieties. 

The primary grape varieties grown in it’s famed Gabutti Cru vineyards are Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto.

Let’s take a look at its rich history.

Cappellano: 150 Years Of Making Traditional Barolos

Cappellano was founded in 1870 by a wealthy landowner, Filippo Calleppano, in Langhe. 

Filippo handed the winery to his son, Giovanni, a talented enologist who renovated the 60-hectare vineyard. 

He also introduced his wines in France during the phylloxera epidemic. (Phylloxera had ruined most of the French vines resulting in a shortage of wine.)

He also built two hotels in Alba and Serralunga.

Giovanni died an untimely death when he went to Tunisia to look for vines resistant to phylloxera. 

His brother, Guiseppe Cappellano, took over the family business. Giuseppe, a graduate in pharmacy, produced a Cappellano Vermouth wine “Barolo Chinato” by adding alcohol to the wine and infusing it with quinine bark.

The late Teobaldo Cappellano took over the winery in the 1960s - a time when Langhe wasn’t well-known.

Teobaldo Cappellano (Baldo) committed to the region’s grapes, decreased production, focusing on the highest quality wines, and encouraged the local winemakers to adopt traditional vinification. 

Baldo also brought his uncle Guiseppe’s recipe of Barolo Chinato fortified wine back to life.

Today, the Domaine is managed by Teobaldo’s son, Francesco Augusto Cappenallo. Like his father, Francesco Augusto Cappenallo aims to produce exceptional Barolo wines by focusing on quality above quantity.

So, let’s see how these exceptional wines are produced.

Making Of An Exceptional Cappellano Wine

The Cappellano family produces fine Barolo wine from the fruit sourced from its Serralunga d’Alba vineyards and small parcels in the Novella village. 

The Serralunga d’Alba vineyard plots are situated on the western slopes of Serralunga in the Gabutti Cru.

Augusto uses organic farming and winemaking techniques for his grafted and ungrafted vines. 

Here are some of his most prominent techniques:

• The 3 hectares of the famed Gabutti vineyard are managed entirely by hand without the use of any machinery.
• No chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used in the cru vineyards.
• The old-style wine ferments naturally using indigenous yeasts in open-top Slavonian casks for 14 to 21 days. The use of indigenous yeasts ensures that the wine gains an inimitable richness.
• Minimal use of sulfur helps the wine gain its natural flavors.
• The wine is aged in seasoned botti (rather than barriques) for at least three years.
• Before bottling, the wine is clarified using gravity.

So, what are the different wines produced from the winery?

The Exotic Cappellano Wines

Cappellano produces a range of delicious Italian wines. These Barolos are made from the fruit of the famed Gabutti vineyard that’s divided into two plots - vines planted on grafted rootstock and ungrafted vines.

• Barolo Otin Fiorin Pie Rupestris: This Barolo wine has excellent depth, brilliant richness, and length. It’s made from the fruit of the parcel planted on the grafted rootstock in the 1940s.
• Barolo Otin Fiorin Pie Franco: This Italian red wine is made from the fruit of ungrafted vines of the Gabutti vineyard. An older wine of this style of Barolo has a seductive dried roses aroma.
• Cappellano Barolo Chinato: It’s a fortified wine made from a secret family recipe. This vermouth wine includes medicinal herbs, spice, and quinine bark grounded in a stone mortar and pestle.
• Dolcetto d’Alba: This wine is made in limited quantities from the fruit of the Gabutti vineyard. The fruit is sourced from a small parcel of Dolcetto in the Gabutti vineyard.
• Barbera d’Alba: Another limited edition wine, this Barbera is a savory red known for its red fruit and cinnamon flavors. Its fruit is also sourced from a small Barbera parcel in the Gabutti vineyard.
• Nebiolo d’Alba: Unlike the Barolos, this Nebbiolo wine is produced from the fruit of a small parcel in Novella.
• Grappa di Barolo: This Grappa wine is produced from the marc or pomace of Cappellano Barolo wines.   

How about finding the perfect bottle for yourself?

The Best Cappellano Wines To Buy In 2020 (Including Tasting Notes, Prices)

Here are some of the best Cappellano wines to buy now:

1. 1996 Cappellano Otin Fiorin Pie Franco - Michet, Barolo DOCG, Italy

An older wine, this elegant red showcases the most delicate flavors of Nebbiolo.

The 1996 vintage of Cappellano’s Barolo has a smooth and creamy palate with a dominant strawberry flavor. The wine nose gives off briar, orange peel, and floral aromas.

Price of 1996 Cappellano Otin Fiorin Pie Franco - Michet, Barolo DOCG, Italy: $1,097

2. 2016 Cappellano Otin Fiorin Pie Franco - Michet, Barolo DOCG, Italy

A well-structured and robust red wine, this 2016 Barolo vintage has an aromatic bouquet of red fruit, cinnamon, orange peel, and a dried herb aroma. The palate is complex but fresh with powerful tannin.

Price of 2016 Cappellano Otin Fiorin Pie Franco - Michet, Barolo DOCG, Italy: $1,153

3. 2010 Cappellano Otin Fiorin Pie Franco - Michet, Barolo DOCG, Italy

The 2010 Cappellano Otin Fiorin Pie Franco - Michet is a classic Barolo wine with dark cherry, plum, smoke, spice, and licorice aromas. The palate of this wine is elegant with rich tannin.

Price of 2010 Cappellano Otin Fiorin Pie Franco - Michet, Barolo DOCG, Italy: $877

4. 1990 Cappellano Barolo DOCG, Piedmont, Italy

Intense on the nose with black fruit aromas, this Nebbiolo red wine is still youthful for its age. On the palate, the wine is rich with robust tannins.

Price of 1990 Cappellano Barolo DOCG, Piedmont, Italy: $515

5. 1952 Cappellano Barbaresco DOCG, Piedmont, Italy

One of the rarest Cappellano vintages, this 1952 vintage gives an authentic experience of the wines from the Barbaresco appellation.

The fruit still maintains its intensity on the palate with brilliant richness. On the nose, the wine gives off caramel, anise, and dried roses aroma.

Price of 1952 Cappellano Barbaresco DOCG, Piedmont, Italy: $525

6. 2000 Cappellano Otin Fiorin Pie Rupestris - Nebiolo, Barolo DOCG, Italy

This brilliant 2000 Cappellano Otin Fiorin Pie Rupestris Nebbiolo wine shows the complexity of the fruit of the Cappellano grafted rootstock vines.

It has gunsmoke, herbs, and tar aromas. The rich palate offers a sour cherry flavor, balanced acidity, and a lengthy finish.

Price of 2000 Cappellano Otin Fiorin Pie Rupestris - Nebiolo, Barolo DOCG, Italy: $590

7. Cappellano Grappa di Barolo, Piedmont, Italy

An intense Grappa wine, this non-vintage wine showcases the winemaking brilliance of Cappellano’s Barolo. The wine showcases the purity of fruit with rich flavors and intense aromas.

Price of Cappellano Grappa di Barolo, Piedmont, Italy: $97

8. 2012 Cappellano Nebiolo d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy

A light, clear red wine, the 2012 vintage Nebbiolo wine has seductive dried roses and red jelly aromas. The palate opens to layered earthy and dried herb notes with a sweeter mid-palate.

Price of 2012 Cappellano Nebiolo d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy: $93

Should You Invest In Cappellano Wines?

The best vintages of Cappellano can effortlessly age for 20 years.

Antonio Galloni, an American wine critic, once said, “Cappellano’s wines are impossibly hard to find, even in neighboring Alba.” This is because the winery only produced about 800 cases of Barolo every year. 

Thanks to their quality, age-ability, and scarcity, these wines are quickly snatched away by top wine collectors, especially in Italy, Switzerland, and Germany. 

They also show steady price appreciation. Take these for example:

• The 2010 Cappellano Otin Fiorin Pie Franco - Michet grew by 73% from $464 to $806 from 2020 to 2021.
• Another great example is the 1968 vintage of Cappellano Barolo DOCG. It’s price more than doubled from $209 to $422 during the same period.

So, if you want to add a rare Cappellano wine to your cellar, make sure to store it under the optimal temperature and humidity with the right light and vibration levels. 

More importantly, it won’t be easy to find a bottle in the market.

A leading wine investment company like Vinovest can help you source the rare Cappellano wine and help you store it under perfect conditions for decades to help the wine gain its best expression. And much more! 

Read on.

Invest In Fine Cappellano And Other Exceptional Wines Through Vinovest

Vinovest is a world-class wine investment firm that helps you source and store the finest collectible wines from around the world.

Not only this - Vinovest will also help you find the right buyer for your vintage and will also deliver it hassle-free.

How Does It Work?

You can start investing with Vinovest with only four quick and easy steps.

• Sign up on Vinovest
• Share your risk appetite and investment preferences with Vinovest’s wine experts by filling a small questionnaire.
• Add a minimum of $1,000 to your account.
• Add a Nebbiolo or any other fine wine to your online wine collection.

Benefits

Here are some advantages of investing in wines through Vinovest.

1. Wholesale Prices

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Investing with Vinovest gives you access to a deep network of rare wineries, talented winemakers, and limited edition bottles. So, you’ll never miss a brilliant vintage!

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Vinovest charges a minimal fee of 2.5%, which reduces to 1.9% for a portfolio of $50,000 and more. 

This fee includes buying, selling, storage, bottle authentication, full-coverage insurance, and portfolio management by an expert team. 

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Want to Be One of the Lucky Few to Own a Classic Cappellano?

Cappellano is one of those exotic beverages perfect for a grand celebration - provided you’re able to get hold of one!

No doubt, this fine wine would be a brilliant addition to your wine cellar as well.

If you’re looking to invest in a fine wine like Cappellano, you need a trusted wine investment partner like Vinovest to guide you through your journey. 

So, choose the smartest way to become a wine collector and sign up right away.