Isole e Olena Cepparello 2001 1.5lt Magnum
3 BOTTLES AVAILABLE.
Initially quite closed but then opens up to be beautifully fragrant and refined. Not an in-your-face nose but very classy. Roses, cherries, spices, earth, cedar make up a very youthful nose. The palate builds in your mouth. Starts quite angular and then spreads. The tannins are there to support some lovely fruit. Cinnamon, anice, cherries, earth and minerals are dominant on the palate which is still years away from really showing their full potential. Like the women in Rome, quite beautiful. 94 points Anthony D'Anna
I drank a 2000 Cepparello the other week which was pretty good…but lordy lordy this vintage is the business. Aromas of raspberry, cherry, spice, licorice root and some lightly peaty overtones. Things really step up on the palate. This is a medium bodied wine with beautiful pure cherry, spice and earth flavours. Nothing out of place. Beautifully balanced. Tannin, fruit and acidity all in perfect harmony. Finish that goes on and on. I am prepared to forgive the Italian football team everything after drinking this exquisite wine. 95 points Gary Walsh, Winorama
Isole e Olena is comprised of two farms, "Isole" and "Olena," purchased by the De Marchi family in the 1950s. The current manager, Paolo De Marchi (see photo), is the fourth generation of the De Marchi to make wine in Italy (the extended family also makes wine in Piedmonte). Paolo graduated from the University of Torino where he specialized in Oenology, and currently maintains relationships with the Oenology faculties of the Universities of Montpellier, Beaune, Torino, Geisenheim and UC Davis. He is among the most respected winemakers in the world. His early enthusiasm for "extra-Tuscan" grapes in Chianti has been tempered by his respect for the unique characteristics of Tuscany's indigenous Sangiovese. This is a demanding grape, difficult to ripen and requiring extraordinary work in the vineyards to insure high quality. Paolo still produces small amounts of wines from "international varieties," including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Chardonnay, but his Chianti Classico and Cepparello (100% Sangiovese), are his own, best contribution to Tuscan culture.
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