2019 Isole e Olena Cepparello
100 WI / 96 VM
$99.89/bottle (In Stock) Buy Now
#1 Wine Independent Top 25
QPR Collector Wines 2022
Paolo di Marchi’s leaving present to Tuscany is this delightful 2019 Isole e Olena Cepparello. Cepparello is a blend of Sangiovese from different vineyards, selected by Di Marchi on the basis of "the best exposure, elevation, soil, genetics, and age. I feel this adds complexity.”…It has a supremely enticing nose with cream and exotic spice, reminding me of Arabian spice markets. With the 2019 there is an added precision to the aromas, less heavy oak, and no greenness on the palate. It is concentrated with a rich velvety texture but without any heaviness and with a gentle unforced quality. The tannins are fine and very well integrated, in fact, finer and better integrated than even the excellent 2016 vintage. It is of course very young now but it’s almost too delicious not to drink! Supremely graceful, it just gets better and better.--Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Independant
Paolo De Marchi’s decision to sell Isole e Olena was on every producer’s mind when I visited Chianti Classico recently. Never one to hold back his opinions, De Marchi quickly established himself as a leader in the appellation with a series of stunning wines and a relentless drive to build the reputation of his estate. I can still remember the first time I tasted the flagship Cepparello. I was probably in my mid-twenties, and yet the wine was so distinctive I have never forgotten it. While focus has always been on Sangiovese, De Marchi is one of the few producers in Tuscany who has also excelled with Chardonnay, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, as I have personally seen in tasting many older vintages here over the years. To say that Paolo De Marchi will be missed is a massive understatement, but words aren’t really adequate to express all he has achieved and contribute in a long, storied career that goes back to the mid-1970s.--Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
