Cappelletti Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro 750ml

The cappelletti family has been producing this rhubarb-based bitter amaro for nearly a century. A deft balance of bright flavors with earthy, smoky notes, this sfumato uses the unique Chinese rhubarb, grown in Trentino, as a base for flavors that include candied orange peels, celery salt, flint, pickled herbs, green strawberries, and raspberry preserves.

The entry is rich and fruity, then cleans up nicely on the mid-palate on its way to a dry, bitter, long finish. The main ingredient used for this Amari is the root of Chinese rabarbaro (rhubarb) which is grown in Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto. “Sfumato” is Italian for “smoke” which is fitting as Chinese rabarbaro gives off a smoky quality. All production of this amaro is made in-house by Luigi & Maddalena Cappelletti, the fourth generation of this distilling family that makes other Amari and aromatized wines.

The term Sfumato derives from the Italian word for smoke “fumo”. It is traditionally associated with a style of Renaissance painting characterized by subtle transitions between areas of dark and light. This speaks directly to the profile of this amaro which marries a dark smokiness with nuanced bitter woodsiness from alpine herbs and notes of sweet alpine berries.

The production of a rabarbaro liqueur by the Amari and aperitivi producer Cappelletti dates back almost a century. The main ingredient is a special Chinese Rhubarb for generations grown in Trentino Alto Adige e Veneto, where it has long been used in a variety of Amari.