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Hidden Tuscany Rating
A Sangiovese exclusive to Barberino Val d'Elsa, aged 18 to 20 months in French oak barrels, with a profile of blackcurrant, violet and toasted cedar. Its high price and the absence of a named distinction limit the assessment.
Sangiovese exclusive from Barberino Val d'Elsa, in the northern Chianti Classico; the exact appellation is not specified, hence a note without the top rating.
No distinction or guide mentioned; the cited average of 97/100 is not attributed to a named source.
Price of €99.13 for a Super Tuscan-style wine with no named distinction: expensive for what is described, ranking not specified.
Precise pairings (grilled beef, wild boar stew, pork ribs, dark chocolate dessert), detailed aromatic profile and decanting advice of about two hours.
Isole e Olena estate and Paolo De Marchi named; aging of 18 to 20 months in French oak barrels detailed, without specification of the cultivation practices.
Independent rating, calculated from the property's public information and traveler reviews. Commissions received on bookings are not included in the rating.
How we rateThe wine
In the Cepparello 2021, the Sangiovese expresses itself with an intensity tempered by finesse and the time spent in barrel. I recommend it to those who love structured reds, made to accompany a generous dish or to rest in the cellar. Its average score of 97/100 from experts gives a benchmark, but it is above all its balance between fruit, freshness and tannins that catches the attention.
This Super Tuscan-style wine comes from the best vineyards of the Isole e Olena estate, in the northern part of Chianti Classico, at Barberino Val d'Elsa. It is made exclusively from Sangiovese. Cepparello is the estate's flagship wine, and its making bears the mark of Paolo De Marchi, who has continually refined his method. The wine matures 18 to 20 months in French oak barrels: a choice his father opposed, but which Paolo kept, with the ambition of favoring finesse over sheer power.
In the glass, the announced aromatic profile opens on blackcurrant, violet and toasted cedar. The palate extends this range with red and black fruits, chocolate, vanilla and a touch of cumin. The wine is medium to full-bodied, intensely fragrant, with firm tannins and lively acidity. These are elements to consider when serving it: decanting for about two hours helps soften its structure. You can also keep it in the cellar, the indicated potential reaching up to 17 years. This aging capacity goes with a substance that does not seek to mask its character, but can gain suppleness over time.
I would serve it with a fine piece of grilled beef, a wild boar stew or barbecue pork ribs: rich dishes, able to match the structure of the wine and round out its tannins. For the end of a meal, the suggested pairing with a dark chocolate dessert offers another, more indulgent route. If you open it young, remember to aerate it before sitting down to eat; if you prefer more mellowed reds, let it rest a few more years in the cellar. In both cases, the Cepparello 2021 invites you to take your time, around a meal where the Sangiovese can fully unfold.
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