The name ‘Isole e Olena’ came about in the 1950s when two adjoining estates, ‘Isole’ and ‘Olena’, were purchased by the De Marchi family and combined to form one... The history of both estates dates back many hundreds of years, and the earliest documentation of the village of Olena goes as far back as the 12th century. During the 1950s, the De Marchi family planted new specialised vineyards and expanded the cellars. Today, the estate is run by Paolo De Marchi and his wife Marta.  Paolo comes from a family with three generations of winemaking experience in the northern part of Piemonte and his older son, Luca, now runs the family estate there, Proprieta Sperino. Country: Italy Region: Tuscany Varietal: 100% Sangiovese Vintage: 2016 Colour: Red Style: Dry Producer: Isole e Olena Description: Vineyards The grapes for Cepparello come from the best sites on the estates. Situated 400 metres above sea level, facing south-west, soils are primarily galestro, a schistous clay. The name Cepparello is taken from an old stream, Borro Cepparello, originating in the highest point of the vineyards on the Isole e Olena estate. Vintage information The 2011 was a great season until the 20th of August, when the grapes started to really suffer in the heat and drought, showing sunburn and dry berries. As a result, 2011 will be remembered at Isole e Olena as one of the most challenging vintages in terms of technical skill and decisions.  20-25% of the Sangiovese crop was good enough to be used for Cepparello. The alcohol is higher than ideal but this was typical of the vintage and the wine is well balanced.   Vinification After crushing, the must was fermented on the skins for 21-28 days at 30-32°C, with delestage and pumping over twice a day to give wines of good colour and soft tannins. The maceration tank was emptied of fermenting must, the cap allowed to dry out for two to three hours and then the must poured back over the cap. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was racked into barrels. It was 100% barrel-aged, a third in new French and American oak (5% of total), a third in one year old oak and the remaining third was put into two year old oak. The wine remained in barrel for 20 months and then matured in bottle before release. Tasting Notes Bright ruby red. The nose shows aromas of red fruits and cherries along with a touch of spice from the well-judged use of oak. The palate opens to ripe fruit and the well-balanced structure of a great Cepparello, as well as elegant, soft tannins and a persistent finish. Food Matches: Red Meat / Beef / Lamb / Venison