Description
In the 1950s, the father of current winemaker Paolo de Marchi purchased the adjoining hamlets of Isole and Olena and their estates in the Tuscan commune of Barberino Val d’Elsa. Paolo entered the business in 1976 and the quality of the estates wines improved rapidly after decades of sharecropping. Di Marchi is one of the regions kings of the Sangiovese grape, at a time when Chianti was a blended wine it was he that stepped out to produce wines that were 100% Sangiovese. The wine, the true embodiment of the word Super Tuscan is the Cepparello IGT which has gone on to become an iconic wine and a benchmark for the Chianti region. The estate also produces stunning Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chianti Classico.
About this wine: The name Cepparello comes from a stream originating in the highest point of the vineyards on the Isole e Olena estate. Cepparello is the embodiment of the estate’s unwavering dedication to quality, to the land and to the Sangiovese grape. This complex, age-worthy wine was produced for the first time in 1980, becoming one of the first Super Tuscans.
Each year, Cepparello is produced with a selection of grapes from the best and oldest estate vineyards, located on the Isole e Olena property in the northwestern part of Chianti Classico.
2020 commenced with a mild, dry winter. Temperatures dropped significantly in March and care was needed in the vineyard to prevent frost damage to the vines. Summer was dry and mild with steady weather conditions until the end of August, when the region saw some bouts of rainfall. However, the weather calmed during September and the 2020 harvest gave excellent results both in terms of quality and quantity.
Sangiovese. Intense bright ruby in color. Complex aromas ranging from floral to wild berries with hints of spice. The palate is characterized by red cherries, earthy with a depth of complex savory acidity and soft tannins.
98 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media “The 2020 Cepparello is a total stunner, just as it was last year. Deeply colored, layered and explosive in the glass, the 2020 possesses striking textural richness and overall intensity. Black cherry, graphite, plum, spice and lavender flesh out effortlessly. There’s tremendous pedigree and sheer stature here. Cepparello is surely one of the wines of the year.”
96 points, Wine Spectator “Expressive and sumptuous from the get-go, this red features cherry, strawberry, rose, orange peel, mineral and Tuscan herb aromas and flavors. Sangiovese. Best from 2025 through 2045.”
96 points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate “Supple and smooth, the 2020 Cepparello brings Sangiovese to soaring heights in a manner only Paolo De Marchi can manage. This is his second to last vintage before he would retire and sell this historic estate. The wine opens to medium to full-bodied concentration with dark plum and redcurrant. Those cede to sweet spice, earth, crushed stone, rusty nail and candied orange peel. Give the wine more time to flesh out with cellar age. It registers a powerful 15% alcohol content.”
96 points, James Suckling “Smoky and austere wine with a restrained nose of dark cherries allied to assertive bergamot and slightly chocolatey depth. Full-bodied with a smooth attack, then dense and velvety with a vibrant and energetic palate. Juicy and toasty in the aftertaste. Drink or hold.”
RRP $303 Our Special Price $229.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
