99 POINTS - James Suckling
"Intense and floral wine, full of restrained aromas, such as potpourri, together with vibrant red cherries, licorice, bergamot and lightly balsamic depth. The firm tannins and full body provide a velvety and extracted texture. Powerful wine, yet tight-knit and super polished. Refreshing with a tense, fruity finish. Super classic. Drink or hold."

Cepparello is the flagship wine of Isole e Olena, made solely from Sangiovese, it represents Paolo De Marchi's love for the grape. When he first started working on the Isole and Olena estate, he spent years in understanding the potential of Sangiovese, selecting the best grapes from the estate year after year. Cepparello was first released in 1980 as a selection of the estate best Sangiovese grapes and today, the wine is still made from the best grapes of the estate. The name “Cepparello” comes from the steam that originates in the highest point of the vineyards on the estate. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was racked into barrels. It was 100% barrel-aged, a third in new French and American oak (with American barrels making up 3-5% of the total), a third in one year old oak and the remaining third was put into two year old oak. The wine remained in barrel for 18 months and then matured in bottle for one year before release. On the nose, it has aromas of red fruits, cherries and wild berries with a touch of spice. On the palate, flavours of red cherries. The wine is earthy with a depth of complex savoury acidity and soft tannins.