2016 Cepparello, Isole e Olena, Tuscany, Italy

  • Red
  • Dry
  • Full Bodied
  • Sangiovese
Ready, but will improve
James Suckling
95/100
Antonio Galloni
97+/100
Michaela Morris
98/100
Product: 20161100408
2016 Cepparello, Isole e Olena, Tuscany, Italy
Colour Red
Sweetness Dry
Vintage 2016
Alcohol % 15
Maturity Ready, but will improve
Grape List Sangiovese
Body Full Bodied
Producer Isole e Olena

Critics reviews

James Suckling 95/100
This is a beautiful Cepparello with transparency and verve; it opens with dark cherries, blackberries, citrus, cumin, Thai basil and eucalyptus. What really strikes you about this wine are not the first sensations of muscular tannin, nor the plush fruit suspended above darker spices — though they are all impressive — but the sudden dart of acidity on the long finish that appears seemingly from nowhere and keeps you coming back for more.Drink from 2023james_suckling, jamessuckling_com (November 2019)
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (Nov 2019)
Antonio Galloni 97+/100
The 2016 Cepparello is dense, dark and also very closed in on itself. Those qualities bode well for the future, but readers will have to be patient, as the 2016 is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. Black cherry, plum, lavender, spice and new leather gradually open up in the glass, but the 2016 is not ready to show all of its cards.This fruit was brought in during the second week of October, which is pretty much optimal at Isole e Olena. The 2016 spent 20 months in French oak, with a bit less than 30% new oak, and a few months in cask prior to bottling. An explosion of floral and spice notes punctuates the super-refined finish. The 2016 is shaping up to be epic. Don't miss it!Drink 2024 - 2046antonio_galloni, Vinous.com.com (August 2019)
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (Aug 2019)
Michaela Morris 98/100
Paolo de Marchi's 'study in Sangiovese' is a selection of the vintage's finest grapes from Isole e Olena's oldest vineyards, high up in Chianti Classico's western sector of Barberino Tavarnelle. Harvested in mid-October, it is a captivating tangle of earth, spring blossom, coffee, tobacco and cedar. Perfumed lavender and violet lift the generous dark fruit and the brilliantly tactile powdery texture lends further dimension. This reaches great depths while simultaneously soaring effortlessly to heady heights. Positively succulent and moreish on the finish.Drink 2023 - 2040Michaela Morris, Decanter.com (June 2020)
Michaela Morris, Decanter.com (Jun 2020)

About this wine

Sangiovese

A black grape widely grown in Central Italy and the main component of Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano as well as being the sole permitted grape for the famed Brunello di Montalcino.
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Isole e Olena

The Isole et Olena Estate, run by Paolo de Marchi for 45 years, is a Tuscan property that has seen a dramatic rise in quality over the last few decades. Paolo's family, originally from Piedmont, purchased the estate in the 1960s. His attention to detail in both the vineyard and the winery was the driving force that turned quality around. The estate was purchased by the EPI group recently, who have expertise in Tuscany, also owning the famed Montalcino estate Biondi-Santi.
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