Cappelletti Pasubio Vino Amaro

10.4.22 Served: Cordial glass, fridge chilled (no dilution) Last intake: jungle bird Aroma: Salami and other dried meats. Perfumey florals and dried citrus. Flavor: Nutty and heavily oxidized like sherry. Some simple citrus pith yields complexity, and there's a bubblegum-like aftertaste, and it sometimes comes off lightly minty. Certainly complex and unique. But that does not mean it's good. It's all over the place and has no coherence. Would not sip again. Not suited to complex cocktails. Would sub for sherry in other cocktails out of curiousity for added complexity, but it does not excite me. Note to self. Try in a bamboo if possible. But don't buy a bottle to do so.

“ode to a mountain range in Northern Italy. flavors of pine, blueberry, smoke, and alpine plants. deep flavors, and lush texture, on a rich wine base.”

Appearance: Cloudy but almost transparent brown. A little like an old oloroso sherry, but not as clear. Aroma: Blackberries, blueberries, pine trees, juniper, red vermouth and cider vinegar. There is a secondary aroma that is reminiscent of ale and sarsaparilla, and a very faint hint of ash. Palate: Sweet and honeyed flavours on the entry but it is not at all heavy. These give way to mint and pine over a background of blueberries, grape skins and red grape juice that is just on the turn. A further development brings herbal notes and a mild bitterness from gentian and wormwood. It has an excellent mildly warming and lip-smacking quality. Pasubio is an interesting amaro, being one of the rare examples that is based on aged red wine rather than neutral spirit. This gives it a totally different profile to most and it can take you by surprise on first sip. I tasted it for the first time last night and initially I didn’t like it much, in fact it seemed quite alien. After another small liqueur glass I started to get where it was coming from but I still wasn’t that impressed. I had intentionally not read the label so as not to influence my tasting. This evening I poured another glass and this time read the label. “Vino amaro” it clearly says. Duh. Suddenly everything fell into place and when I nosed it with the knowledge that this is wine-based it seemed familiar and well-composed. It’s amazing how a tasting can transform when you fit in a missing piece of the puzzle. This is a well-crafted amaro of the “alpine” type. It has similarities to Braulio but is not as crisp. It is very different to sweet amari like Montenegro, Meletti and Vecchio Amaro del Capo, and it does not have the brisk citrus notes of Averna or Lucano. It’s probably one of the least immediately appealing of the different styles, but it is satisfying once you get to know it. There is a vague suggestion of both vermouth and sherry about it. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)