Product Description:

"Cepparello is one of Italy's most iconic wines and a reflection of Paolo De Marchi's career. 1980 was the first vintage produced, but it started in the vineyard in the early 70's. The common misunderstanding that Sangiovese needed to be blended with Bordeaux varieties to be great puzzled Paolo, he said "The problem isn't with Sangiovese; it's with us, we don't know how to farm it." From there he started a 20 year journey of clonal selection and viniculture that ended with what today is considered the baseline for producing great Sangiovese in the Chianti Classico region. Today Cepparello, named after a small seasonal stream among the vineyards, is a selection of the estates best fruit. Soils primarily Galestro, vineyards orientated Southwest and are 400 meters above sea-level." -Importer

"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 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." -Antonio Galloni