TN: 1997 Cepparello.

Ciao Berserkers,

A few nights ago my ITB friend came over for dinner, roast chicken. First we tasted two sample Beaujolais from the 2010 vintage, the Julienas and the Morgon from Henry Fessy, not yet released. Apparently this domaine is a recent purchase of the Louis Latour organization. Both were very nice, especially the Morgon which had a very intense violet aspect in the nose and a rich, round palate.

With the chicken we decanted the 1997 Isole e Olena, “Cepparello”. This bottle had been sitting in a fine passive cellar since I bought it at release back in the day, then transferred around Christmas time to my caves here in DE. A small amount of sediment was separated from the wine. The color is a gorgeous scarlet red with some lightening at the rim, healthy and mature. A fine nose of spicy black cherry, tobacco, and freshly turned dirt, like when I roto-till my garden at the State Park. “Tuscan dust” is the term I often see and like to use for this element. [basic-smile.gif]

On the palate it has beautiful black cherry/black raspberry fruit, medium body, a sense of that earthiness, and a slightly grippy, long finish. This Cepparello exudes a sense of elegance and refinement. A nice match with the chicken, too. The wine really opened nicely with air and the last glass was definitely the best. Circumstances were such that the wine was decanted just a few minutes before dinner, and it should have been done a few hours before.

This wine is quite different from the 99 Cep, which I loved also, which had brighter red cherry fruit and higher acidity, and less earthiness. I think this wine is ready to drink and though it will probably hold well in a good cellar probably does not have much more to give. Lovely wine. Grade: A

After dinner my friend opened a 2011 Peirano Estate “Muscat Canelli”, from Lodi, CA. My, this ws a delicious wine. It has a very intense nose of fresh pear and lichee nut, the same on the palate, medium bodied (11.5%), fresh, clean, juicy acidity, it kept growing on me with each sip. Loved this. Grade: A-.

Ciao, dc.

Thanks for the note. Some others recently haven’t had as good a bottle.

Byron

Byron,

This was my first time with this vintage, and I know all about the VOTC hype etc. and read Pat DeMarco’s recent TN, so was not going to be too surprised if it disappointed. Both my friend and I thought it excellent, but as you know, there are no great wines, just great bottles. [basic-smile.gif]

Love this wine, 1996-1998 were all great.

Lovely, always love reading your notes! Nice to hear this showed as well as it did. Not sure I have any 97 Cheppys left, but after a recent fabulous bottle of the 01 I loaded up on as much as I could find and look forward to its long, brilliant future!

Congrats. Glad you had a good one.

BTW, what does VOTC stand for ?

Pat

Ciao Pat,

Vintage of the Century. dc.

Dave,

Very nice note. Of the four bottles I have sampled, the first (in 2005) was not the best but the other three, consumed in 2006, 2010, and 2011, were quite impressive. Got some 2004 somewhere.

Cheers,
Doug

Who sed dat? I thought it was Vintage of the Year. neener