2009 Cepparello

The 2009 Cepparello is gorgeous. It brings together the radiance and ripeness of a warmer year with the medium-bodied structure of a cooler vintage. Today the 2009 is a bit reticent and appears headed for a period of dormancy. From time to time hints of its ultimate potential come through in attractive layers of dark red fruit. The rich, textured finish bodes well for the future. Paolo De Marchi describes 2009 as a year with a cold spring and a hot summer that also brought hail in early August. The 2009 Cepparello is clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034. 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. 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 of 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.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. 100% Sangiovese aged in French oak barrels 2. 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. A style that emphasizes finesse over power, especially with bottle age 4. Aging potential: 20+ years

The 2009 Cepparello, usually one of the more restrained wines in Tuscany, is huge in this vintage. It blasts onto the palate with tons of richness, power and depth. The 2009 clearly needs time to come together, but is immensely promising. Layers of dark red fruit, flowers and mint build to the rich, intense finish. An attractive high-toned floral register develops in the glass and balances the wine’s more overt leanings. The 2009 desperately cries for at least a few years of cellaring, after which it should drink well to age 20, and likely beyond. The integration of fruit, acidity and oak is fabulous. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029. ||Paolo De Marchi does so many things well. His Sangiovese based wines are terrific. But it doesn’t stop there. The wines made from international varieties are equally compelling. As if that weren’t enough, the flagship Cepparello is one of the wines of the 2009 vintage. Add to that De Marchi’s intense passion for his hillside vineyards, and you have one of the most intriguing personalities in Italian wine. I can’t say enough good things about these new releases. Isole e Olena fans will also want to check out my Cepparello vertical that appears in this issue. Wine Advocate.June, 2012