2021 Isole-e-Olena - Toscana Rosso IGT Cepparello (750ml)

Cepparello is one of the original Super Tuscans, and among the purest. Paolo De Marchi first made it in 1980 as 100% Sangiovese, at a time when Chianti rules still required white grapes in the blend, so he bottled it outside the appellation. It comes from the estate’s best old-vine parcels in San Donato in Poggio, in the cooler, high-altitude northwest corner of Chianti Classico. The wine ages about 18 months in French barriques, roughly a third new. James Suckling called the 2021 possibly one of the best Cepparellos ever. Expect red and sour cherry, plum, pomegranate and dried violet, with stony minerality, pepper and a touch of licorice. The palate is full and vibrant, with velvety, chalky tannins, fresh acidity and great length. Decant it now, or cellar it for two decades. A stunning match for bistecca, roast lamb or wild boar.