Had the opportunity to put the ’16 Cepparello next to the ’16 Tignanello with lunch today. Both brilliant. I gave the win just to the Cepparello today.
2016 Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT: A gorgeous nose of fresh flowers, black cherry and cedar. It is full, luscious and creamy but has excellent definition and precision. Flavours build and it is only right at the end that you notice the wine’s substantial build just below the flesh. Impeccable balance and probably the greatest young Cepparello I have tasted.
2016 Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT: A ripe wine with sweet plum and dark cherry fruits. There’s a hint of bitter chocolate, some florals and a little tobacco. It is complex, deep, intense and super long, carried by supple tannins. A very young wine but you sense the greatness here.
I love Cepparello and believe that it doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. I tend to hear a lot more about Tignanello, Flaccianello, Fontalloro, Rancia, Le Pergole Torte, Testamatta, etc., and while I enjoy all of these (and love Flaccianello and Le Pergole Torte in particular) I typically find Cepparello to be the most consistently enjoyable. (FYI the '15 is every bit as good as the '16).
Some, of these like Le Pergole Torte can be amazing, but seem difficult to open at the right time (and are often closed down). The Fontalloro and Rancia are much less expensive, but also a lot “bigger boned” wines and typically less elegant and expressive. The others (i.e. Flaccianello, Tignanello, Le Pergole and Testamatta) are more expensive and have increased in price to $100-$150, while Cepparello has remained in the $69-$80 range. For me Cepparello is the sweet spot of all of these…
Regarding the pricing of the two, Cepparello is about $69-$70, while Tignanello is now up to about $110-$120.
Comparing Rancia to Cepparello, Rancia has a darker fruit profile and is richer and creamier in texture, whereas Cepparello always has a thinner body, much brighter/stronger acidity, a silkier texture, crushed dark cherry flavour and loads of spice. It is the brighter acidity plus the exotic spicy character that I love so much (and which I love about good Sangiovese in general, but find in Cepparello more than most Sangios). I also find that Rancia, especially young, is reminiscent of a Bordeaux (or at least a Sangio-Cab blend “Super Tuscan”), although I realize it’s 100% Sangiovese and the difference is likely related to elevation, soil, etc. I don’t know whether Cepparello actually has higher acidity in terms of numbers…it may just be that the lighter body makes it stand out more.
Thanks for the note of the Cepparello…since vacationing near them and falling under their spell…I try to pick up six or so from each vintage and find them a remarkable bargain and a wonderful candidate for mid-term cellaring
I have never had a truly “old” or obviously mature Cepparello. However, I did recently have the '03, which should be a rather suspect vintage due to the extreme heat, and it is not only delicious, but still showing extremely primary and fruit-driven at this point. That said, it was from a magnum and I have heard a few folks mention that they don’t think it’s a wine that necessarily ages well.
Crimson in color. 14% ABV. Breathtaking nose of red fruits, menthol, road tar and flowers. Medium to full bodied with exquisite acidity. Well structured and powerful. Cherries, licorice, blood and cocoa on the palate. The finish is long and seamless with formidable tannins. No telltale signs of the hot ’03 vintage. Gorgeous Sangiovese that should cruise to twenty years of age.
Thanks Jeremy for putting Cepparello on my radar. My local retailer has them both. Quite the difference in price. Isn’t the Cepparello generally 100% Sang where the Tignanello will blend in a small amount of Bdx varietals ?
What are your thoughts on the Cepp Chianti Classico ? Seems like a great value for a solid Chianti.
Received my order of 2016 Isole e Olena Ceparello today. Absolutely thrilled to see it was under screw cap, way to go! I had forgotten that they do this…
I bought some 2009 and drank the first bottle in 2017 and I wrote that it needed 3-5 years, which probably means 7-10. I do not have a lot of experience with it. What is a reasonable aging plan.
While it seems like it should probably age well, the 16 Cepparello drinks so well already, and not really needing decanting, being too tannic, being slow to open up, or any of the usual signs that suggest the wine “needs more age to hit is best place.”
So I’m a little unsure what to do with the few that I bought.