cascode
Cappelletti Aperitivo Americano Rosso
Other Aromatized Wine — Trentino, Italy
Reviewed
February 3, 2021 (edited August 6, 2023)
Appearance: Bright ruby red.
Aroma: Bittersweet herbal aromas that are reminiscent of an alpine amaro. Gentian, aged red wine, mountain herbs, deep citrus zest aromas. Complex and interesting.
Flavour and Texture: Sweet but full-bodied with herbal bitterness to add balance. Very reserved citrus flavours. Mouth-watering and earthy, with sage and gentian in the aftertaste.
Thanks to @bigwhitemike for suggesting this to me a couple of months ago. I bought a bottle that day but as I had a heap of things already open and in need of finishing I’ve only just got around to tasting it.
A very good aperitivo, it’s a new favourite and a definite step up from most. In profile it is somewhere between Aperol, Select and Campari but more interesting than the first two and less bitter than the third. Cappelletti produce a very good alpine amaro called Pasubio that is based on aged red wine – I could easily believe that this is either derived from that drink or else shares an ingredient recipe or manufacturing process.
It’s enjoyable neat, and improved with a few ice cubes. It is versatile and mixes well with everything from soda water to dry sparkling wine to lemonade. Even tonic water works well. The complex bitter herbal personality at its base is the key as it works particularly well with the wine component.
Delicious and more interesting than most aperitivi. In comparison, an Aperol spritz tastes like Fanta orange soda.
“Excellent” : 88/100 (4.5 stars)
35.0
AUD
per
Bottle
Create Account
or
Sign in
to comment on this review
Great review. I picked up a bottle not to long ago and have enjoyed it. I will be doing a review soon.
@bigwhitemike Aperol is crisp, citric and and direct which is fine in its place, but this is definitely more complex and nuanced. Select is somewhere between the two - not one dimensional, but maybe only two, and it has a syrupy quality.
I’m glad you picked up a bottle, it is definitely at a different end of the category than Aperol. The wine base is very prevalent, it’s significantly more herbal/earthy, and so much less syrupy. I still enjoy Aperol quite a bit, but it’s a nearly one-dimensional sweet citrus+bittering flavor assault - this feels a bit more elegant and nuanced. I think there’s a place for both on my shelf. I still need to try Select at some point, which is probably the other cousin found most often by me.