{"product_id":"cappellano-barolo-pie-rupestris-2021","title":"Cappellano Barolo \"Pie Rupestris\" 2021","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSerralunga d'Alba sits at the eastern edge of the Barolo zone, on a ridge whose soils differ meaningfully from the softer ground of La Morra and Barolo commune. The Gabutti cru, one of Serralunga's most prized, spans about five hectares at 355-395 meters, facing southwest to west. The soil is calcareous marl from the Serravallian era, roughly 12-14 million years old, layered with limestone and sandy marl, and among the highest in calcium carbonate of any Barolo vineyard. That mineral density, paired with a warm, sheltered exposure, produces Nebbiolo with unusual structure: Serralunga wines run vertical and long-lived, built around a pronounced tannic spine rather than early charm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePie Rupestris is 100% Nebbiolo on grafted rootstock, drawn from vines planted in the 1940s within the Otin Fiorin parcel of Gabutti, the two-thirds of the holding not replanted with the own-rooted Michet clone reserved for the estate's Pie Franco. Fermentation runs in cement with native yeast and extended maceration, followed by a minimum of three years in old Slavonian botti before bottling unfiltered, typically four to four and a half years after harvest. The 2021 vintage followed a cold winter and dry spring, with an April frost trimming yields, then a warm but even summer; it's regarded as a classic, structured Barolo year in the mold of 2019, 2016, and 2013. Expect liquorice, juniper, tar, balsamic lift, baking spice, and undergrowth, an aromatic signature the estate treats as a direct expression of Serralunga.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCappellano was founded in 1870 by Filippo Cappellano, a lawyer who assembled roughly 60 hectares of vines around Serralunga d'Alba; the town's main square still carries the family name. His son Giuseppe, a trained pharmacist, invented Barolo Chinato, the aromatized, spiced version of Barolo still made by the estate today. It was Teobaldo Cappellano, born and raised in Eritrea before returning to Italy in 1969 and taking over the winery in 1970, who built Cappellano into what it is now. He scaled the estate back to four hectares, producing fewer than 800 cases a year, farmed and vinified with a deliberately old-fashioned hand, and around 1985 purchased the Gabutti parcel that became Otin Fiorin. Teobaldo died in 2009; his son Augusto, who had worked alongside him for years, now runs the estate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRupestris' tar and liquorice character wants food with real weight: braised beef cheeks in Barolo, a long-cooked wild boar ragu over pappardelle, or brasato with root vegetables. A wedge of aged Toma Piemontese or a hard, nutty pecorino gives the tannin something to grip without competing with the wine's spice. This isn't a wine for a quick weeknight plate; it rewards a slow braise and a few hours at the table.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Natural","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50514240667871,"sku":null,"price":280.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P7040616_a3233aeb-4d8b-41f7-99af-a6bca86d1554.jpg?v=1783392955","url":"https:\/\/denverwinemerchant.com\/products\/cappellano-barolo-pie-rupestris-2021","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}