Wine Advisor
Isole e Olena, Cepparello Toscana 2015
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Shows lots of black cherries, cranberry tea, caramelized orange peel, roasted herbs and citrus peel. Full-bodied with ripe and quite round tannins that frame layers of cherries. Bright and fresh, yet rich and long at the same time. The sangiovese character really springs out of the glass. Drink in 2020.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
The first whiffs of evolution are present in this powerful vintage. The nose is dark and earthy, with black cherries, fresh prunes and a lot of licorice, potpourri and cedar wood. Full-bodied and dense with thick and velvety tannins. Slightly dusty, with crisp acidity keeping it full of energy in the aftertaste. Cherrystone flavor to finish. Drink or hold, as it has a super long life ahead.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
The 2015 Cepparello is not immediately accessible. Indeed, the wine took some time to open, and I kept going back to my sample bottle throughout the afternoon at different intervals to check on its progress. There is no doubting the enormous potential of its aging trajectory nor the considerable depth of fruit in its current youthful state. However, all those aromatic elements of fruit, spice, tar, tobacco and grilled herb still need to find harmony before they sing in chorus. The mouthfeel is chiseled and tight, and this is where you really sense the potential of its longevity. Some 42,000 bottles were made. This wine is aged in mostly French oak, with 5% American oak.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2015 Cepparello is pliant and racy, with lovely floral top notes to match its gracious personality. There is good depth to the dark red/purplish fruit, while silky tannins give the wine plenty of immediacy. Time in the glass brings out attractive rose petal and lavender notes to round things out. The 2015 is not as complex or layered as the best editions. In exchange, it should drink well right out of the gate. Rain during harvest resulted in Cepparello that is attractive, but also a bit lacking in dimension.
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
