Isole e Olena Cepparello 2021

Isole e Olena Cepparello 2021, the time of Sangiovese

I recommend this Cepparello for its profile shaped by long aging, without the wood completely erasing the wine's character. This 2021 is a Sangiovese red, offered under the IGP Toscana designation: a bottle to consider for a relaxed meal, when you want to take the time to savor it.

A Tuscan Sangiovese, patiently aged

Cepparello is produced by the Isole e Olena estate, in Tuscany. The available information does not specify the exact commune of production, the history of the estate, or the particularities of its vineyard plots; I would therefore rather not embellish on its terroir. What we do know is that this 2021 vintage is made from Sangiovese and presented under the IGP Toscana designation. Here, the grape variety and the aging work are the most reliable reference points for understanding the bottle.

The wine is red and spends 18 months in barrique, then 12 months in bottle. The available notes do not describe its color nuance or precise aromas on the nose: I therefore cannot promise you scents of cherry, spice or forest floor. The communicated profile places it at 3 out of 9 on the fruity-spicy axis, at 4 out of 9 between young and wood-marked, and at 5 out of 9 for lightness and body. These reference points suggest a rather restrained expression on the first two axes, with an intermediate presence on the palate. They invite you to expect a wine where the aging accompanies the Sangiovese without making it, on its own, the subject of the tasting. If you enjoy knowing how a wine was built, these 18 months in barrique and this year of rest in bottle offer a concrete thread to follow.

At the table, with dishes of character

I would serve it with pasta, a risotto, red meat or game, pairings indicated for this wine and consistent with a medium-bodied red. Aged cheeses can also have their place at the end of the meal. For a first encounter, choose a dish that gives the wine time to open up, rather than a very dominant preparation; you will then be able to observe how the Sangiovese and the aging respond to each other. The Cepparello 2021 seems to me particularly well suited to a dinner where one lingers at the table, without trying to turn every glass into a grand event. Open it to accompany the meal, serve it calmly and let yourself be guided by what you perceive: the available reference points are sober, and that is also a good reason for you to form your own opinion.