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N/A WA. "The spotlight goes to the stunning 2008 Barolo Pie Franco. As its name suggests, fruit is sourced from 25-35-year-old vines that have not been grafted (“piede franco” in Italian). The wine offers a fascinating view onto what Barolo may have tasted like before phylloxera. Following the massive damage cause by the louse roughly a century ago, the vineyards of the Langhe were all grafted to modern rootstock. Elegant and determined, the aromas of this beautiful Barolo peel back slowly to reveal dried fruit, tar, licorice, ginger and spice. Apparently a mudslide many years ago destroyed a portion of vineyards. Instead of replanting with grafted vines, Teobaldo Cappellano randomly decided to put ungrafted vines there instead. I asked Augusto why his father did this: “I’m not even sure he knew the reason,” he tells me. “I think he just wanted to sow something that was against the norm.” Anticipated maturity: 2019-2045. The Barolo Pie Franco shows a slower, steady evolution in the glass while the Rupestris shows more vigor and higher energy. In keeping with his father’s wishes, Augusto Cappellano does not send samples to wine guides and he asks all of those who tastes his wines to refrain from assigning numerical points." Wine Advocate #208, Aug 2013 |