The occasion warranted some nice wines so after some thought we came up with these two. Was looking forward to the Pavese Spumante since it was new to me. As was expected the Cappellano did not disappoint.
Ermes Pavese ‘XVIII’ Spumante Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle, Valle de Aosta: From the terraced vineyard at 3000 foot elevation. Citrus, apple and some brioche nose, initially a little shy on aromatics. Fans out in the mouth, lemon cream, sour apple, earthy and some slight smoky notes. Strong mineral backbone really defines this wine and keeps you engaged and wanting more. I’m told this wine is no dosage. Complex but accessible, I would love to try again in a few years. It is 100% tank-fermented Prié Blanc elaborated using the traditional Champagne method.
2008 Cappellano Otin Fiorin Pie Rupestris Barolo: Decanted for 2 hours. Very aromatic nose of red fruit, roses and pine needle. Could smell this all evening. Tart cherry, tar, roses, menthol, eucalyptus and blood. Very good acidity and tannins are certainly present but in balance with other components of the wine. Kept getting even better during the evening.
It’s a powerful wine, still very young (no surprise). Always a treat to open a wine with this pedigree!
