2012 Cepparello

Paolo DeMarchi continues to make some of the most compelling wines in Chianti Classico, and Italy, for that matter. These new releases span several vintages, starting with 2014, a year that was challenging at the beginning and nearly perfect towards the end of the season. The 2014 Chardonnay, Chianti Classico and Cepparello (tasted from barrel) are all terrific. Of the three most recent vintages of the flagship Cepparello, the 2013 is the most reserved. Rain during harvest presented its own challenges that year. Still, it's hard not to admire these wines. Over the years, I have witnessed first hand just how well these wines age. Like so many top producers I have met around the world, DeMarchi is brutally critical of his own wines. A relentless drive for excellence is one of many things that elevates Isole e Olena to the position it occupies.

Paolo De Marchi remains one of the most forward-thinking producers in Italy. His 100% Sangiovese Cepparello was a ground -breaking wine in the 1980s, when Sangiovese was four-letter word and international varieties were all the rage. Now the Gran Selezione is hot and there has never been more focus on pure Sangiovese in Chianti Classico. So what does De Marchi do? Simply make one of the greatest Tuscan wines ever with his 2010 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, which is, ironically, a blend of Sangiovese and Bordeaux varieties. So, now the top wine at Isole e Olena - an estate that has championed Sangiovese for three-plus decades (far before it was fashionable to do so) - is now a blend. In 2011, De Marchi added a dollop of Trebbiano to freshen up his Cepparello. What's old is new again? At the end of the day, none of that really matters. "I want to make the best wine I can. Period," says De Marchi in his typical self-deprecating style. Make no mistake about it, these are some of the greatest wines being made anywhere in the world. Chapeau.