Wine Advisor
Isole e Olena, Cepparello Toscana 2012
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Pretty bright fruit with blackcurrant, violet and sandalwood aromas and flavors. Full body, firm and linear tannins and a fresh finish. Needs two or three years to soften. Cepparello is always a classic. Better in 2017.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
This is a landmark wine from Tuscany that continues to offer greatness even in the uneven vintages. The 2012 Cepparello is a gregarious and beautifully intense expression that speaks highly of this beautiful and somewhat isolated corner of the Chianti Classico appellation in Barberino Val d'Elsa. I must underline that this vintage is very different from the plump and extra round 2011 Cepparello that precedes it. In fact, I like the more austere style that is so confidently put on display in 2012. That streamlined power and forthcoming determination is well matched to the natural heft and density of this important Sangiovese-based wine. It shows excellent elegance, good tannin management and a somewhat trimmed down style. There's no extra fat here and the inner fruit stands tall as a result. The first vintage of Cepparello was made was 1980.
About the Producer
The Isola et Olena Estate, run by Paolo de Marchi, is yet another property that has seen a dramatic rise in quality over the last few decades. Paolo's family, originally from Piedmont, purchased the estate in the 1960s. His attention to detail in both the vineyard and the winery was the driving force that turned quality around. The wines have Cepparello at their head, a barrique-aged Sangiovese classified as an IGT - because at the time of its creation in the 1980s a wine comprising 100% Sangiovese could not legally be labelled as Chianti. There is a Chianti Classico and a Vin Santo, as well as some excellent wines from the Collezione de Marchi label, including a Syrah called Eremo, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Chardonnay
