Born in 1980, it was the second pure Sangiovese, immediately after Pergole Torte, born in 1977, and before Flaccianello della Pieve, in 1981, to grace the Supertuscan category. An iconic wine that, together with its siblings, helped build the greatness of the Chianti Classico terroir and its benchmark grape, highlighting its potential for longevity and elegance.
It is 1956 when Francesco De Marchi, a lawyer from Piedmont, founded the company Isole e Olena, buying the two namesake hamlets, only a kilometer apart, consisting of several farms managed by sharecroppers. At the time, about 130 people lived and worked in Isole and Olena, an almost completely self-sufficient community that was already engaged in significant wine production, some of which was sold to large merchants in the area.
After the end of the Mezzadria, the estate was reborn thanks to the arrival in 1976 of a barely 25-year-old Paolo De Marchi, son of Francesco, who, having completed his agricultural studies, took over the management of the estate and began the process of its reconstruction. An enlightened mind and passionate researcher, Paolo will also be among the protagonists of the rebirth of Chianti Classico. It is he who devotes himself, in fact, to the study and selection of the best clones of Sangiovese, vinifying them separately. A study that would come to fruition starting in the mid-1980s, when the company’s finances would allow the investment to be sustained, with the remaking of part of the vineyards, using precisely those clones that favored quality over high yield, leading to the birth of the labels that have made the company great over the years.
In 2022, the De Marchi family, due to the impossibility of finding continuity within the new generation, decided to pass the baton to the EPI independent family group, managed by Christopher Descours, which had already invested in Tuscany by acquiring Biondi-Santi in Montalcino. The new ownership’s mission is to give continuity to production in this extraordinary territory, working in synergy with the historic winery team, now led by the oenologist and director Emanuele Reolon, who has joined Paolo De Marchi in winery activities for almost a year.
The birth of different Chianti
Already in the second year after joining the company, Paolo De Marchi had decided to to move away from the “recipe” of Chianti Classico that mixed red and white grapes (which was allowed until 2006). By starting to separate the grapes, it gives rise, on the one hand, to a white wine from Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes and, on the other, to a red wine with qualitative characteristics that are already very different from the past: it is the first wisp of what is destined to become an iconic wine for the area, the Cepparello.
Paolo understands that there is no need to add international grape varieties to one’s Sangiovese to produce a great wine, but at the time the appellation regulations did not allow the use of pure Sangiovese. Thus, on its debut in 1980, Cepparello appeared as Vino da Tavola, which later became Igt. A wine that would become a bulwark of Sangiovese’s ability to express terroir, which in Isole and Olena means altitude and distinctiveness of soils.
The territory
As anticipated above, the winery is divided between the two villages of Isole and Olena and is located halfway between Florence and Siena, in the UGA of San Donato in Poggio, a western area of Chianti Classico. A Isole lies the heart of the production activity: the winery, the tasting room and the terrace overlooking the Elsa Valley. Olena Instead, it has kept the charm of the old village intact. A hilly area characterized by a mild climate, mellowed by sea breezes.
The estate has 320 hectares of land, of which 220 are forest and 56 are vineyards. But the real peculiarity is the presence of two distinct souls in this area: that of Olena, particularly rich in marl, rock and limestone, and that of Isole, characterized by the presence of clay and alberese. Being able to choose from a Vineyard fleet so large and with such internal diversity has always been an important advantage for the company.
And Cepparello is precisely the sum total of this diversity, obtained by selecting the grapes from about thirty different vineyard plots and vinifying them separately. “Being able to choose whether to take from a vineyard at 500 meters or a vineyard at 350 makes so much difference – explains Reolon – and the careful selection of the vines always leads to having this great saltiness and acidity that holds very well.”
The style of the winery
The cautions continue in the cellar where, Reolon explains “the vinifications are very delicate. with great care taken to preserve the integrity of the berries. Only whole berries are processed, without stems, and destemming is done with distant rollers to avoid breakage. Fulling is avoided and pumping over is few and gentle, so that only what is needed is extracted and at the right time.”
This curation is the result of an evolution over time: “in the 1990s and 2000s the focus was on more extraction, but since 2010 the company has abandoned fulling equipment, adapting to a more modern taste.”
Then there was the climate change. “Since 2003, climate change has profoundly changed the dynamics of grape ripening. Sangiovese used to be harvested in early October, while today it starts as early as September, about two weeks earlier. This reduces the ripening time of the grapes, requiring new approaches in leaf wall and soil management.
The last two decades have seen a shift to more limited tillage, with more grassing to slow sprouting and flowering through increased competition in the vineyard. This system also promotes lower planting density, as controlled competition between plants helps maintain more vegetation and wider leaf walls.”
A wine that evolves
At the behest of Paolo De Marchi, Isole e Olena has always had a dynamic approach, both to the vineyard and to winemaking techniques. Reason why Cepparello has also always been a “fluid” wine, changeable and representative of the times. “Paul was always a volcano, an innovator who was also able to make difficult decisions. – tells Reolon – so actually all our customers are quite used to the idea that you can change something.
Cepparello has never been a congealed wine. We work with nature, our roof is the sky, and it is unthinkable, in my opinion, today to think in a plastered way. In fact, actually as Olena Islands it is really forbidden. And so you have to work in a different way, maintaining a certain dynamism in the approach to winemaking, not in the style.”
This adaptability translates today into new cellar choices, such as that of including in the traditional Cepparello process (with the use of barriques) also a 5 percent maturation in large barrels and French oak tonneaux. This will start from the 2021 vintage and is destined to increase in the vintages to come.
Longevity
“Giving a more restrained, slow and gradual micro-oxygenation helps the wine stay intact. The goal is to achieve greater longevity, going to enlarge the wood but, most importantly, and this is something that is emphasized too little but is crucial, going to work on the stave size, which makes such a difference – continues Reolon -. Right now we are also working a lot on the choice of forests from which wood is sourced: we have left the Atlantic forests of Bordeaux and are doing together with the cooperage blind tastings of samples contained in woods of different capacities and origins, to understand the evolution of each one. It is a concerted effort that allows us to act better and better.”
Between giving continuity to De Marchi’s vision and investing in interventions that allow for better enhancement of the winery’s heritage, the new ownership’s message is clear: “I believe that our task today is just that: change to make it clear that nothing has changed – explains Reolon – because if today we continued to make wine the way Paolo made wine in the 1990s, we would have an unapproachable product.
Why the grapes are completely different, the terrain and climate are different. But even the Sangiovese clones are partly different, if we think about the new vineyards. So it would be a very different expression than the initial one. It’s like a mathematical equation: if you change one of the factors, to have the same result, you have to change all the others as well. And the result, our goal, is precisely the recognizability of Cepparello from Isole and Olena.”
Toscana Cepparello 2005
Score: 93/100
Average price in wine shop: € 80
After a normal winter and a cool spring with late sprouting, the summer was warm but uneven and with almost no rain. September rains delayed the harvest. Atypical vintage, with austere wines, rich in acidity and polyphenols, to wait in the bottle.
100% Sangiovese. 18 months in new and used French oak barrels. Ruby red with good concentration and a slightly faded rim. The nose is decidedly sweet, with cherry jam, tamarind, and carob, with vegetal and balsamic notes in the background, joined by a hint of barley miso. On the palate, it is more agile than expected, very fresh and juicy with subtle tannins and a balsamic vein enveloping the tart red fruit finish.
Wine that offers a fitting reading of a dystonic, evolved year that is heading into the second phase of its life with excellent grit. Alc. 14%
Toscana Cepparello 2010
Score: 94/100
Average price in wine shop: € 120
Cold and rainy spring, late summer with brief heat and rain in August. Slow ripening but favored by stable September and October in high altitude vineyards. Late harvest, average yield, complex, aromatic wines well balanced by fresh acidity.
100% Sangiovese. 18 months in new and used French oak barrels. Dense and concentrated ruby red, with a slight nuance at the edges. The nose offers fleshy sensations, with umami, earthy, and slightly foxy notes, followed by cola nut, tamarind, and pipe tobacco. On the second sniff, the perceptions of glutamate and soy miso become even more pronounced. The palate is consistent and pulpy, with rich, pronounced tannins balanced by its freshness.
A decidedly “old style” wine, but well expressed and still enjoyable. Alc. 14,5%.
Toscana Cepparello 2014
Score: 93/100
Average price in wine shop: € 80
Peculiar vintage marked by large temperature ranges and heavy rainfall, but mild and breezy September and early October favored gradual and complete ripening. Harvest in mid-October with grapes for elegant, balanced, aromatic wines with fresh acidity, suitable for aging.
100% Sangiovese. 18 months in new and used French oak barrels. A garnet color with orange hues. Deep on the nose with hints of damp earth, sweet spices, licorice, and tobacco; followed by ripe flowers, cherries in syrup, and a hint of watermelon, creating a rather open profile. The palate is rich, textured and full-bodied, extractive but always lightened by a lively acidity and firm, chewable tannins. The finish is decidedly fresh, with a spicy echo.
The child of a controversial vintage, this is a complex but somewhat rustic wine. Alc. 14,5%.
Toscana Cepparello 2015
Score: 95/100
Average price in wine shop: € 120
After a cool winter and wet spring that delayed sprouting, the summer was mild and rainy. Perfect September encouraged good ripening, which was completed in October. Classic and challenging vintage, with elegant, complex, fresh wines with ripe tannins.
100% Sangiovese. 18 months in new and used French oak barrels. Intense and vivid ruby. Marking the nose are sensations of dark spices, sweet black fruit and earthy hints, which gradually transform into elegant sensations of underbrush, porcini mushroom and humus. On the palate it reveals a smooth tannic texture and good roundness, making it pleasant and very enjoyable.
A wine from a hot vintage that focuses more on drinkability and readiness than complexity. Alc. 14,5%.
Toscana Cepparello 2016
Score: 97/100
Average price in wine shop: € 120
Vintage with mild and regular weather: rains until June ensured good water reserves, while dry summer and autumn with cool nights favored healthy and abundant grapes. Mid-September rains and temperature range gave clear aromas and great balance.
100% Sangiovese. 18 months in new and used French oak barrels. Typical, lively ruby red. The bouquet is open, elegant, and refined, with clear notes of spices and balsamic vegetal tones. The fruity component (cherries and blueberries) is ripe and always enveloped in mentholated sensations. The palate is precise and composed, very balanced thanks to the perfect balance between tannins and freshness; it finishes with a salty note, without surprises.
Son of an impeccable vintage, an accomplished, disciplined and somewhat “combed” wine. Alc. 15%.
Toscana Cepparello 2019
Score: 98/100
Average price in wine shop: € 120
Dry winter and early spring encouraged regular budding; spring rains prepared for a warm, stable summer. Healthy and abundant grapes, with excellent balance between quality and quantity. Harvest in the first half of October.
100% Sangiovese. 18 months in new and used French oak barrels. A slightly nuanced ruby red on the hues. The bouquet opens with delicate, rounded floral notes and cherry syrup, followed by a rich array of spices, some slightly sweet, and fragrant toasted cocoa and coffee. The palate boasts a wonderful balance of tannins, present but never dominant, and juicy acidity, a full body and a long, salty and succulent finish.
A faithful expression of the cool vintage, a ready and balanced wine of excellent dynamism. Alc. 15%.
Tuscany Cepparello 2020
Score: 96/100
Average price in wine shop: € 120
The vintage had a mild, dry winter, followed by a colder March that required care in the vineyard. Summer was stable, dry and mild, with rains in late August. Sunny September favored an excellent harvest, balanced and generous in quality and quantity.
100% Sangiovese. 18 months in new and used French oak barrels. Bright, compact ruby red. The nose opens with distinctly sweet notes of spices, sour cherries preserved in alcohol, cocoa, and Rossana candy. On the palate, there are also ferrous notes of orange and a hint of sugared almonds. The palate is straightforward and vertical, with strong, rather drying tannins; the alcohol balances everything and gives it roundness.
A more robust and muscular wine, the child of a hot vintage, resting its longevity on rich tannins. Alc. 15%.
Tuscany Cepparello 2021
Score: 98/100
Average price in wine shop: € 120
Cold and rainy spring reduced production while maintaining excellent quality. Summer although hot and dry avoided stress because of good water reserves. Sunny September with cool nights ensured optimal ripening, lively acidity and complex aromas.
100% Sangiovese. 18 months between new and used barriques and tonneaux and 25% large barrels. Bright ruby. Lovely intact and fresh nose with vegetal nuances; on second olfaction more defined notes of toasted almond, blood orange, rust and Sichuan pepper emerge. The palate is vibrant in acidity, taut and a tad astringent, but hydrated by a really juicy and savory saline vein, with an ematic and citrus flavor. The tannin is well dissolved, chewy and crisp, for a succulent finish.
An energetic wine with character, enjoyable even now, although very young, and promising excellent evolution precisely because of this dynamism. Alc. 15%.
Tuscany Cepparello 2022
Score: 97/100
Average price in wine shop: € 130
Rainy and windy spring, with warm days and cool nights, to favor flowering and fruit set. Hot and dry summer until mid-August, then restorative rains. Early harvest with healthy, ripe grapes that produced a well-balanced must.
100% Sangiovese. 18 months between new and used barriques and tonneaux and 25% large barrels. Bright ruby with good intensity. Elegant nose in tones of violets anticipating plum, blood orange and cherries in syrup, enveloped by hints of damp earth, tobacco and spices; then mouthwatering coffee roasts emerge. Already silky tannins, set within a framework of delicate freshness, refined structure and fruity aftertaste, with a coherent finish of spices and roasted memories.
A wine of great promise, but one that already reveals remarkable readiness and a very contemporary character. Alc. 15%.
