Isole e Olena Cepparello 2012

Ideally drink 2018 through 2030. Decant 2 hours prior to serving

The Isola E Olena Cepparello is the estate’s flagship wine, and their finest offering. It is made with 100% Sangiovese grapes chosen from the estate’s best vineyards in the northern part of Chianti Classico, in Barberino Val d’Elsa. Aromas of blackcurrant, violet, and toasted cedar lead to a palate reminiscent of chocolate, red and black fruit, vanilla, and cumin. Strong tannins and bracing acidity soften upon decanting, but this wine could use some time in the cellar as well.

A medium to full bodied and intensely flavored wine, this begs for rich food to help smooth out its rough edges. Grilled steak, wild boar ragu, or barbecued ribs would be good foils. This wine could also be used as a post dinner treat; try pairing it with a dark chocolate dessert.

Isole E Olena does not spare much expense when it comes to their Cepparello, and the treatment of the wine in the cellar proves this. Aged in French Oak barrels for 18-20 months, the winemaker, Paolo De Marchi, emphasizes finesse over power in this wine, and has continued to refine the process of making it throughout its history. De Marchi’s father believed that buying new French Oak, green harvesting, and aging for long periods was a waste of money, but Paolo insisted on continuing, and the fruits of his labor have paid off in strides. Cepparello is a wine that can age for years and years, and with the vineyards at the prime of their lives, is now a wine of great finesse and complexity