Isole e Olena Cepparello 2014

SKU : C73728

RP 95 V 97

Size : 750 ml

Vintage : 2016

Producer : Isole e Olena

Description

The flagship wine consists of 100% Sangiovese aged in French oak barrels. Over the years, Paolo has refined his Cepparello by giving it more air during vinification and increasing time spent in oak from 12-14 months to 18-20 months. Although De Marchi started focusing on the use of better quality oak around 1993, it is the increased age of the vineyards themselves that have given Cepparello its overall finesse. The wine is made from a top selection of the estate’s best fruits from the vineyards in Barberino Val d’Elsa in the northern part of Chianti Classico.

97 Points Vinous - Isole e Olena's 2014 Cepparello is mind-blowingly beautiful. The product of a long, cool growing season with perfect weather at the end of the fall. Dark, savory and intensely mineral, the 2014 possesses remarkable depth and intensity. In 2014, the grapes reached full maturity at lower sugars than is the norm today. I tasted the 2014 from an assortment of barrels. If the finished wine is like the wine I tasted from barrel, the 2014 Cepparello will be one of the big surprises of the vintage. I love the mid-palate depth here.

95 Points Wine Advocate - Here is another big surprise from an underdog vintage. The 2014 Cepparello had recently been bottled when I preview tasted it, but it is far from its release date. Paolo De Marchi sold off any finished wine that did not live up to his standards and picked the very best results for this edition. Production this vintage is down by almost a quarter. This is a beauty. It flaunts a deep, dark appearance with succulent fruit, savory spice, leather and grilled herb. The oak element needs additional time to integrate and it surely will as the wine continues its slow bottle evolution. Only a third of the blend is aged in new oak. This upcoming Cepparello is a wine of substance and distinction.