TN: 2016 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico

Oh, my! Finally picked up a bottle of this after encountering the Cepparello at a portfolio tasting and hearing about how good this bottling was. I normally shy away a bit from Italian reds, especially Tuscan, since I find them to be generally unexciting and uninspiring.

This is an incredible value for the quality of what’s in the bottle. The fruit quality trends towards black cherry and even plum, but it never approaches heaviness; the density of the wine is balanced by freshness maintained by soaring acidity. A lovely, deep nose of crushed violets & rose petals and the beginnings of forest floor/sous-bois. The textured, dusty tannins provide a really nice sturdy underpinning to the wine and there seems to be a perfectly judged kiss of cedar-y wood influence. Finishes with a lightly spicy flourish.

It definitely has more to give, so I would happily buy a couple more and cellar them for 5+ years to achieve even more depth and tannin integration. This may make me sound silly, but after drinking my first Tignanello (2007) a few weeks ago, the wines are more similar than they are different to my palate.

Fantastic QPR, highly recommended.

I find that it’s very true that Tuscan wines have an identifiable “Tuscan” taste/flavor, regardless of grape, which I believe may be largely attributable to the type of oak typically used in the region (which gives the wine a certain cedar-y spice).

In the case of the two wines you’re comparing (Tignanello and Isole e Olena Chianti Classico), both of which are likely 80%+ Sangiovese, it’s really not surprising that you would find them “more similar than different”. My guess is that as you drink more Sangiovese, you will, over time (and allowing for the inevitable disappointments in any type of wine) find that if you stick with good producers, it is consistently a very delicious and “craveworthy” wine (even if it may be “unexciting” in a sense…).

As I type this, I’m drinking a 1995 Felsina Rancia Chianti Classico Riserva. It was disappointing when I opened it last night, with a bit of the old “wet dog” flavour. But after sticking a cork in it and refrigerating overnight, it is now quite outstanding and delicious, with juicy acidity and the classic dark cherry, grainy crushed-fruit tannin, and cedar-spice that I love! In general I find Tignanello to be atypically plush and creamy for a Sangio-based wine, but still clearly Sangiovese…and what it lacks in that respect is made up for by the overall balance and purity of flavour.

Bottom line…it seems like maybe you’ve had an “aha moment” pertaining to Sangio, and you may wind up re-evaluating your prior “unexciting and uninspiring” impression (which is a very common view of Sangio, btw). Cepparello is one of my favorites of the PURE (100%) Sangio, old-school “Super-Tuscans”. Not as polished and elegant as Tignanello, but it delivers the dark cherry/cedar in a way that Tignanello doesn’t.

Agreed. I bought 4 dozen. The 13 was excellent, the 15 outstanding but this is even better. The 16 Cepparelli should be pretty handy.

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Interesting, thank you for the note. We just has the 07 Cepparello blind, and if we hadn’t been told it was Italian, I definitely would have guessed it was a modernist St. Emilion. Oak on the nose, extraction, pruned fruit and some chocolate on the finish - not much Sangiovese character.
In fairness, I don’t drink a lot of oaked Sangiovese - one of the tasters did identify it as Sangiovese (he thought it might be Perhole Torte). Has the house style changed in recent years, or is this still made a la Valdicava? Or was this just the product of a warm vintage? I do drink a fair amount of Montevertine and Stella, but find those wines to be extremely different.

I suppose like any varietal, you reap what you sow; garden variety Sangiovese has proved to be some of the most anonymous and “meh” wines for me. The depth of these wines is much more apparent than many of the Chianti and other Tuscan wines I’ve had. I’m an acid-head, so to find a wine that’s lifted while still having a solid, balanced foundation is perfect for my tastes. The Tignanello definitely seemed to have a bit more of that Cabernet-influenced herbal plushness but I still enjoyed it quite a bit.

You’re absolutely right, though - the last little while has been a revolution for me as far as what’s possible with Sangiovese. And thank you for the tip re: the type of oak used!

I’m certainly no expert on these wines, but the Cepparello I tasted was the same vintage and seemed to be a bit burlier and classically “serious” - characteristics which may indicate more quality for a fine wine but for someone like me who craves brightness and a lighter touch, I think I prefer this one, especially for a wine to be drunk with food (it went great with a lovely Neopolitan-style pizza, AND I can buy 3 bottles for what the Cepparello costs).

Agree this is a gem of a wine. Just picked up a few bottles. The 2016 vintage seems to have been a exemplary one for Chianti Classico.

Cheers,
Doug

Sean, have you tried the 2016 Monsanto CCR or the Felsina CCR? While I really enjoyed the Isole e Olena, I thought both of those were a couple steps ahead of it in terms of depth and nuance. Same classic profile with a bit more earth and finer tannins. The 2015s were wonderful but the 2016s are even better.

I had this recently and really enjoyed it as well. Super structured and tight, in a very good way, from the very first sip and over a couple of days. It tasted truly well crafted, far above the level of a typical CC bottle. No off aromas, no barnyard, not too much leather or anything out of place at all. I was very impressed. Some may be the vintage - 2016 is excellent - but it felt as much like craftsmanship and care as anything else.

I have not! I don’t usually go for Italian reds when I buy wine but I will definitely keep my eyes out for those, thank you for the recommendations.

'07 was a very warm vintage. However Cepparello (like Le Pergole Torte) has always been a very pure expression of Sangiovese (and is 100% Sangio), while I believe some have alleged/suspected Validicava, which as a Brunello should also be 100% Sangio, to have included non-permitted grapes, just based on its density and plushness. In any event (and I am a sceptic of those types of claims), I view Cepparello as much more traditional in style than Valdicava and certainly more similar in style to Montevertine than Validcava, at least in most vintages. (However, Cepparello tends to show more a bit more tannin, spice and fruit than Pergole Torte, and in a warm vintage like 2007 that may be a more pronounced difference due to the altitude of Montevertine, which gives it a distinct advantage in those vintages). I will try an '07 Cepparello soon (tonight?), as I think I have 2-3 bottles. believe I tried it at one point, and the fact that I don’t remember it makes me think it wasn’t a vintage that I enjoyed much.

I also suggest the '13, '15 or '16 Fonterutoli “Castello di Fonterutoli” Gran Selezione, which is a $35-$45 wine that often reminds me of Cepparello (both having dense dark cherry fruit and cedar…although some grumble that the Fonterutoli is a bit too modern or has too much spicy oak), and the '15 or '16 Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva ‘Tenuta Tignanello’ (which can sometimes be picked up for about $23, though typically is closer to $30-$33. For me, when I can find it in the mid $20s, this is one of the most consistent “bang for your buck” CCRs, and is very enjoyable, particularly as a go-to wine for pasta, pizza, etc.

I was blown away by this as well. Can’t wait to try the top Sangio-based '16s in a few years. I’ve loaded up on Le Pergole Torte but this was a nice reminder to get some Cepparello too. Thanks.

I love Le Pergole Torte, a long-time favourite, but I had to drop it when it crossed $100. Same thing happens with many of these wines (Flaccianello also comes to mind). I get really squeamish as they rise above $69/$79, but if they’re long-time favourites, I will stick with them, but only until about $100. There are just so many beautiful Sangiovese wines, even some nearly best-in-class Brunello, available for $30-$60. I’ve been happy to see Cepparello remain well under $100, but I suspect any year now that will change.

Thanks for posting Sean. Good reminder to pick this one up as have seen a bunch of postive notes. The Cepparello as well is one I’m eager to try. Jeremy Holmes posted a great note awhile back on the Cep.

Cheers

Isole e Olena was one of the test vineyards for Chianti 2000 when they were testing different clones for the best wines. As such, they have the more traditional and classic clones of Sangiovese. One reason their Chianti Classico and Cepparello is so good.

Just popped another - and my last - bottle of this and, man, I wish I had bought more. This’ll go the distance, too, if desired. I really get “Baby Bordeaux” vibes - the fruit quality is different, but the structure and overall harmony (along with just the fainest touch of green) is quite reminiscent.

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Sorry to be an enabler, but there are dozens of retailers on WSPro which are selling this wine in the mid $20s if you want to buy more. I also note at a glance there are a number of them selling 375s and magnums, too.

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You’ll deliver these to Canada?

No, but I can probably get them to Sydney, or Glasgow. :slight_smile:

The '16 Monsanto has acid in spades.

thanks for this tasting note! I’m gonna have to search out some Isole. I also was unaware of the info behind the Cepparello. Gonna have to search some of these out, as I like Pergole Torte style but prefer to support a different winery.

I will say if its anywhere approaching Felsina Rancia consistency or quality then I would be very happy.