Isole e Olena Cepparello: The Heart and
Soul of Sangiovese<a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?wine_filter%5Barticle_id%5D=26&amp;wine_filter%5Bproducer_id%5D=3430&amp;producer=true">See all the wines here</a> Proprietor Paolo De
Marchi has left an indelible and highly personal stamp on Isole e Olena and all
of Chianti Classico, for that matter. Originally of Piedmontese descent, De
Marchi stands apart from many of his colleagues for his vocal opinions and intense
dedication to the vineyard above all else. Since taking over his family's
estate in the late 1970s, De Marchi has transformed Isole e Olena into a
powerhouse.&nbsp;

The flagship
Cepparello is 100% Sangiovese aged in French oak barrels. This nearly complete vertical
charts the history of one of Tuscany's most compelling wines. The first
Cepparellos were vinified in cement. The cellar was heated to induce malolactic
fermentation and the wines were subsequently aged roughly equal parts Slavonian
oak casks and smaller French oak barriques, with a dollop of chestnut barrels
thrown into the mix. It was a time of enormous sacrifice, given that green
harvesting was viewed as throwing money out the window, and every purchase of
new French oak barrels was accompanied by a stern reprimand from De Marchi's
father to pay attention to costs. But De Marchi persevered. The fruits of his
hard labor and pricing are amply captured in these magnificent wines. <img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1377523726198-Isole2+-+Vinous.jpg"> 

A Handful of
early Cepparellos

Over the years
Cepparello has acquired a level of finesse it rarely had at the outset. Some of
the refinements include giving the wines more air in vinification and an
increase in the period of elevage in oak from 12-14 months to 18-20 months,
which is the norm today. De Marchi says he started getting better quality oak
around 1993, but it is the increased age of the vineyards themselves that have
given Cepparello its finesse.

Isole e Olena Cepparello Key Points: 

1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
100% Sangiovese aged in French oak barrels

2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The top selection of the estate's best fruits from their vineyards in Barberino
Val d'Elsa, in the northern part of Chianti Classico

3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A style that emphasizes finesse over power, especially with bottle age

4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Aging potential: 20+ years

-- Antonio Galloni<div>Cover: Exposed rock
in the Isole e Olena cellar</div>

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