Garantito IGP : On Corks and Alternatives

If you drink wine sealed with corks you will sooner or later come across a bottle that is corked.

This is not good; ideally the aroma will be of that unpleasantly metallic gassy frizz-your-hair-and-make-your-eyes-water variety, which leads you to refuse the bottle if you're at a restaurant (arguing with the owner if need be) or ask for another bottle if you're at a tasting. Unfortunately, cork taint is not always this obvious. Quite the contrary, it can be subtle, and in its most pernicious form it simply casts a veil over the aromas, making the wine seem drab and uninteresting. In this form it's easy to miss, because there's nothing really obviously wrong -- the wine just seems humdrum, and there's certainly a lot of humdrum wine out there. However, if you do taste a second bottle of the wine, the difference is like the sun emerging from behind a cloud.

As you might guess, this latter sort of cork taint -- which I find to affect between 5 and 10% of the wines I taste -- gives winemakers fits. And there are solutions, for example synthetic corks, glass stoppers with silica rings, and screw caps. All of which (screw caps especially) are by now quite common outside of Italy. However, in Italy there is still considerable resistance to alternative closures, on the part of the Appellations, which continue to call for cork, and on the part of the restaurant trade, which claims that screw caps and such eliminate the "poetry" inherent in uncorking the bottle and sniffing the cork and so on.

How anyone can find a product that ruins 10% of what it seals poetic is beyond me, but they do. However, things are beginning to change, thanks in part to winemakers sick of the damage they suffer from bad corks (price does not guarantee an absence of taint) and thanks in part to importers requesting non-cork closures.

In 2009 I tasted Paolo De Marchi's 2007 Chardonnay IGT Toscana, which he bottles with screw caps for those who want them, and corks for those who don't. It was quite interesting: The wines were both very good (90-91 points for both), but also quite different; the screw cap was fresher, while the cork was a little more mature, and I concluded that, "Comparing them side-by-side is like looking at a pair of twins, who might seem identical at first glance, but reveal differences as one gets to know them; the screw cap wine is just a touch crisper and has a slightly harder edge to it, whereas the cork-stoppered wine is a little softer, and comes across as slightly more seductive. Both are very fine, and which you prefer will be a matter of taste. To continue with the twins analogy, one trains competitively -- the screw cap -- while the other -- the cork stopper -- dances."

Now Paolo is also bottling Cepparello with a screw cap for foreign markets that request it.

The Azienda Salcheto in Montepulciano is being even bolder: They have taken the radical step of bottling half of the 2005 vintage of their signature wine, Salcheto Evoluzione, which spends four years in bottle prior to release, with screw caps and the other half with corks. The same wine, with the screw cap bottles classified IGT, and the cork-sealed bottles Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, sold in boxed sets with one of each kind. As I said, a bold move, because it will oblige the many Italian consumers who greatly enjoy Salcheto Evoluzione to try a top quality wine with a screw cap closure of a kind still viewed with disdain here.




At Vinitaly we tasted them blind:

1 (the screw cap)
Fairly deep almandine ruby with black reflections and almandine rim that has faint hints of ruby to it. Fairly rich berry fruit with slight candied accents and clean bramble with some spice and delicate underbrush. Quite fresh, and displays considerable harmony. On the palate it's rich, deft, and elegant, with rich sour cherry fruit supported by brisk sour berry fruit acidity and slight underbrush, and by tannins that are warm and smooth, and flow into a clean bright tannic finish. Graceful, with beautiful acidity that interplays very well with the tannins, making a wine that is deft and quite light on its toes, rather like a dancer. It will go beautifully with a steak or roast, and will age quite nicely for many more years.
90-92

2 (the cork)
Fairly deep almandine ruby that has slightly more garnet to the rim. Moderately rich bouquet with berry fruit supported by warmth and slight balsamic accents with underlying greenish spice; it has a slightly ethereal feel to it and is somewhat more reserved than sample 1, while there are hints of cedar that don't stand out as much in the other. On the palate it's rich, with fairly bright sour cherry fruit supported by bright sour cherry acidity and by tannins that are quite smooth, and display a slight cedary burr that carries into a long fresh bright cherry finish. The tannins are a little smoother here, and display a greater degree of cedar and vanilla than those of sample 1, and this makes the wine a touch more settled than the first.
90

Both are quite elegant, and very pleasant to drink, to the point that one really cannot say that one is better and the other is worse. The first (which is the screw cap bottle) is slightly fresher, and a touch brighter, whereas the second is slightly more mature, and displays the oak to a greater degree.

A very interesting comparison, of a sort that would not be possible where screw caps are already commonly accepted. And quite impressive; the screw caps held very well, and were also more consistent -- there was some variation from one cork-stoppered bottle to the next, whereas the wine in the screw cap bottles was the same. And this brings up the question of what, exactly, the cork stoppered bottles, none of which suffered from cork taint, are getting from their corks. It turns out corks do release tannins into the wine, and also aromas, which Michele Manelli, Salcheto's Director, describes as "earthy and animal." And oxygen (which must be mopped up with a shot of sulfites to keep it from damaging the wine), even if the bottling line fills the neck of the bottle with inert gas.

The bottom line is that for wines to be drunk young, alternative closures are definitely a good idea, and given this the Nobile di Montepulciano Consorzio's decision to allow bottling Rosso di Montalcino with screw caps is quite interesting and -- for Italian Appellations -- potentially groundbreaking. For wines to be aged? Corks are potentially more interesting because of what they release, but there are several ifs. What is the quality of the cork, what tannins will it emit, and what aromas? In short, Michele says, corks in the long run are a roll of the dice. They may improve the wine, but they may not, and in this respect are like barriques, which can have more or less positive effects upon the wine they contain.

Bottom Line: I will continue to appreciate corks in bottles suitable for long aging, because when they contribute positively they can add wonderful nuances, but will certainly not look askance at a screw cap, even from the most august Appellation.



Published Simultaneously by IGP, I Giovani Promettenti.

We Are:
Carlo Macchi
Kyle Phillips
Luciano Pignataro
Roberto Giuliani
Stefano Tesi

Isole e Olena: The Wines, And Thoughts About 2006

Paolo de Marchi of Isole e Olena was one of those presenting barrel samples at the Chianti Classico Anteprima this year, and to be quite honest I am not a tremendous fan of barrel samples -- they offer a preview of what the wine is likely to be, but are far from being definitive. So Paolo and I got out our cellphones, consulted the calendars, and decided to meet later, and taste through more than just the new Chianti Classico.

Later was yesterday; it was a pretty day and a nice drive on country lanes (the road to Isole is now paved), and when I arrived Paolo had set out current and past vintages of the wines he makes in Tuscany, and the current vintages of the wines he and his son Luca make at Proprietà Sperino in northern Piemonte. I took advantage of his having set out several 2006 vintages to compare them with other vintages of the same wine, and also quite enjoyed the quick vertical of the his Chianti Classico D'Annata.

Before we get to the wines, an important thing:
Since I was tasting in Italy, the bottles I tasted were all sealed with corks. Paolo, like many Italian winemakers, is not happy with corks -- they're expensive and cork taint is a serious and growing problem -- but the regulations in Italy (and consumers) almost invariably demand cork. Elsewhere consumers and governing bodies are more open to innovation, and if you purchase his IGT wines outside of Italy, in particular his Chardonnay and his Cepparello, you may find them with screw caps. I tasted his cork and screw cap Cardonnay side-by-side in 2009 and found the screw cap wine to be fresher and crisper, and scored it slightly higher. Paolo says he has noted the same thing with Cepparello in screw cap bottles, which offer the additional bonus of being completely free of corkage problems.

The wines, tasted March 10 2011

Collezione De Marchi Chardonnay IGT Toscana 2009 Pale brassy greenish gold with brilliant greenish reflections. The bouquet is rich, with elegant greenish butterscotch supported by deft savory minerality and spice, and underlying dappled shade. Beautiful definition and control. On the palate it's full and rich, with slightly languid tropical fruit laced minerality supported by mineral acidity that gradually revolves into citric as the wine flows into the finish, which also has a long mineral undercurrent. Quite beautiful; it has the lithe firm grace of a dancer, and is one of those wines that you open, and secretly want to keep for yourself. The vineyards are more than 20 years old, and fully express their potential in a way that they didn't quite in the past. Well worth seeking out.
93-4

Isole e Olena Chianti Classico DOCG 2007
Elegant cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is deft, with dusky cherry fruit that has some jammy cherry overtones and is supported by deft slightly brambly acidity and pleasingly vibrant spice; it's very much alive in a smiling key. On the palate it's medium bodied, with rich cherry fruit supported by dusky bitterness and pleasing mineral acidity, while the tannins are rich, and have a slight dusky burr that lows into a long dusky cherry fruit finish. It's quite elegant, in a slightly more brooding key -- this is a characteristic of the vintage -- on the palate than the nose, and will work very well with grilled meats or roasts, and you will find yourself wondering where it went. A second bottle is definitely in order.
88-90

Isole e Olena Chianti Classico DOCG 2008
Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections; it's slightly darker than the 2007. The bouquet is rich, with deft sour cherry fruit supported by some berry fruit acidity and pleasant minerality with hints, of iodine and some graphite shaving bitterness. Quick to write, but quite harmonious and quite pleasant to sniff. On the palate it's graceful, with rich rather dusky cherry fruit supported by deft berry fruit acidity and smooth sweet tannins that flow into a long cherry laced finish with a deft tannic underpinning that has a slight burr, and continues at length, gaining definition from pleasant savory minerality. Very nice, coupling approachable elegance with considerable finesse, and it will drink very well with grilled red meats or light stews, and also with roasts, though I would think more in terms of roast beef cooked rare than leg of lamb. Expect the bottle to go quickly, and you will want another.
90-91

Isole e Olena Chianti Classico DOCG 2009
This is a barrel sample; it's elegant cherry ruby with black reflections and hints of violet that carry into a violet rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with jammy cherry fruit supported by some violets and graphite shaving bitterness with some underlying brambly acidity. Promising. On the palate it's medium bodied, with rich cherry fruit that has slight sweetish jammy accents supported by deft acidity and slight nutmeg spice, and by smooth sweet tannins -- there is a burr, which is understandable given their youth -- that flow into a clean slightly bitter cherry finish. Very promising, and will be worth waiting for. It's a little riper than either the 07 or the 08, and this is due to the vagaries of the vintage.

Isole e Olena Cepparello IGT 2006
Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and some almandine towards the rim. The bouquet is elegant, with deft sour cherry fruit supported by some slightly balsamic spice and very slight cedar that doesn't impinge, but whose absence would be noted, and by deft minerality with fairly rich sea salt as well. Great finesse and harmony; it's one of those wines you can sniff, and sniff again, and suddenly realize you are ignoring everything else in the room. On the palate it's rich, with elegant slightly sour cherry fruit supported by deft mineral acidity with some graphite bitterness, and by tannins that have hints of cedar to them and flow into a clean slightly bitter cherry laced finish. It's very elegant, but has a certain austere hardness to it, like a pretty girl wearing a suite of armor (we have the new Alice in Wonderland dvd), and is not the most user friendly wine I've had. However, if you are willing to give it time and space, and attention -- it's like those rare, infuriating people who are full of themselves but have the right to be so -- it has a great deal to say and will only have more in coming years. If you instead want to just drink it, it will be superb with a Porterhouse steak. In short, it's a wine that can be approached at many levels. If I were lucky enough to have a case, I would enjoy a bottle or two now, with wine-loving friends, and put the rest away for posterity, or close to it.
95

Isole e Olena Cepparello IGT 2007
Slightly darker and brighter black cherry ruby, and this is due to greater youth. The bouquet is more approachable, with enticing slightly jammy cherry and forest berry fruit supported by hints of chocolate and some underlying spice; like the 2006 it's extremely harmonious, but is a little more luscious. And, like the 2006, it will capture your attention. On the palate it's medium bodied, with deft cherry fruit supported by delicate sour cherry acidity and smooth sweet tannins that flow into a long, delicate cherry finish that lasts and lasts. A beautiful wine that ahs a great deal to say, and that will work superbly with a steak or an elegant roast; I would be tempted to think of a Gran Pezzo, or crown roast, though it will also make a leg of lamb extremely memorable. By comparison with the 06 it is a bit more approachable, and doesn't have that feeling of distance and austerity; this means that it is a bit easier to drink, and may capture the attention of non-wine geeks in a way that the 06 likely won't. If this sounds like a back handed compliment it isn't meant to be so; simply the 07 is a wine I would open with any friend, whereas the 06 I would reserve for a select few, and also give it time. The 07 is readier now, and though it will age very well is not, I think, going to be as long lived as the 06.
93

Collezione De Marchi Syrah IGT 2004
Impenetrable black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is rich, with deft cherry fruit supported by delicate underbrush and some jammy accents, with slight wet leaves and wet bark as well. Quite harmonious -- I've been using that word a lot -- and with considerable depth. On the palate it's full, with rich, languid cherry fruit supported by mineral acidity and slight underbrush bitterness, while the tannins are smooth and sweet. If it were younger one would be tempted to write about larks, but this is richer and has more substance; it's a beautiful expression of Syrah as it comes form Tuscany when the vineyard is mature, with a delicacy that the more aggressive Tuscan varietals don't display. Not that's it's soft, because there is acidity to provide direction, but it's a touch more languid. And very, very nice. One could get used to it, and then where would one be?
93-4

Collezione De Marchi Syrah IGT 2006
Impenetrable black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is powerful, with slightly more underbrush than the 0f, and also slightly duskier there's also berry fruit and savory accents, but it has a more distant feel to it. Quite elegant, in a slightly more reserved key. On the palate it's full, with rich cherry and berry fruit supported by underbrush laced mineral acidity and by tannins that have some hints of underbrush to them, and flow into a slightly more dusky finish than that displayed by the 04. Very nice, in a more austere key than the 04, and in this it resembles the relationship between the 06 and 07 Cepparello; this wine has the same sort of distance -- perhaps to a greater degree -- as the 06 Cepparello, and is a wine that one could drink now with a steak, but that will reward those with patience, and in any case demands attention. It's a wine I would break out with wine loving friends, and probably sip in silence (mine and theirs), whereas the 04 is something that will capture most anyone.
95

Collezione De Marchi Cabernet IGT 2004
Impenetrable leathery black cherry ruby with pigeon blood ruby rim. Impressive and no hints of garnet at all. The bouquet is powerful, with rich black currant fruit with ints of ripe blackberry, and cherry fruit as well supported by deft spice and nicely balanced by hints of cedar and slight balsamic accents, while there are underlying hints of blackberry jam, the home made kind that has whole blackberries in the jar. Tremendous harmony, and is -- once again -- a wine that will capture your attention and have you ignoring everything else in the vicinity. On the palate it's full, with rich black currant and blackberry fruit supported by deft mineral acidity and by tannins that have a warm burr that brings wet tree bark to mind -- and this is a very nice thing -- and flows into a very long berry fruit finish with deft tannic underpinning. Extraordinary depth and finesse, and though I could continue with superlatives, I will quit while I'm ahead. It will drink beautifully now with succulent roasts -- a crown roast would be perfect, and leg of lamb too -- now, and also age beautifully almost indefinitely. This is what Cabernet should be all about. Like all wine writers, I have tasted my share of Cabernet, and can't recall any that would come close to eclipsing it.
95

Isole e Olena Vinsanto del Chianti Classico DOCG 2003
Lot 6.10
Tawny amber with brilliant apricot reflections and greenish tawny amber accents towards the rim. The bouquet is enticing, with dates and dried figs mingled with considerable sweetness and slight walnut skin; there's a little less acidity than in some years, and this is thanks to the long hot 2003 summer. On the palate it's full and quite sweet, with delicate date and dried fig st supported by warmth more than acidity tout court, which flows into a long deft date fruit finish that has some almost crystalline sugar to it, and lasting warmth. While this is quick to write, there's considerable depth in a somewhat softer key than usual -- the long hot summer did influence the grapes -- and it's a wine that will drink very well with green cheeses. Perhaps not aggressive Roquefort, but somewhat milder variations on the theme, for example Gorgonzola Dolce or some of the English Stiltons. Cheddar, too.
2 stars

Proprietà Sperino
This is the De Marchi Family's estate in Lessona, in northern Piemonte. Paolo's son Luca is managing it, and they make two wines:

Proprietà Sperino Uvaggio Coste della Sesia Rosso DOC 2007 This is a blend of Nebbiolo, Vespolina, and Croatina; it's lively almandine ruby with black reflections and almandine rim. The bouquet is elegant, with rich slightly greenish wild flowers supported by savory notes, berry fruit and lively sour berry fruit acidity again laced with greenish accents and spice. It's a tomboy in a glass, and a smiling one at that. On the palate it's medium bodied, with rich sour cherry fruit supported by savory minerality and by tannins that have a warm savory burr with hints of bramble, and flow into a clean brambly sour cherry finish with lasting warmth. Quite elegant, in a rather feisty key; if you like the smooth softness of a ripe Merlot you will find it too aggressive, but if you prefer livelier wines it will do spectacularly with a platter of mixed grilled meats, and work nicely with roasts or a hearty stews too. So9me might say it is too much for a cookout, but if I were putting lamb chops and steak on the grill I would be very happy with this wine, and it would also be a nice bet with fried meats, especially lamb chops.
88-90

Proprietà Sperino Lessona DOC 2006
This is Nebbiolo, with a little Vespolina. It's Elegant garnet with black reflections and garnet ruby highlights, while there is dusky garnet in the rim. The bouquet is deft, with savory cherry fruit supported by slight rosa canina and some elegant, almost brambly minerality, and the greenish vegetal accents that Nebbiolo from Northern Piemonte often displays. Considerable harmony and finesse in a youthful key, and very pleasant to sniff. On the palate it's medium bodied, with rich slightly sour cherry fruit that gains definition from brambly sour cherry acidity, and is supported by powerful dusky tannins with slight greenish accents that flow into a fairly long savory sour cherry finish with bright slightly greenish tannic underpinning. It's quite elegant in a brash key, and also quite young, a wine that will work very now with grilled meats or roasts, but that will also age well for ate least a decade, and as it mellows also work well with stews, and perhaps be something to sip with like-minded friends. It is not a wine for everyone; it is demanding and demands attention, but if you are willing to give it what it asks, it will richly reward you.
92-3

Giving Time Its Due

Yes, this is what a winery's aging hall looks like with the door ajar.

Isole e Olena, in Chianti Classico to be precise, and one would think it's an ocean of peace and tranquility. Unfortunately, it takes a tremendous amount of effort to get to this point -- when I first visited them years ago, the first thing I saw was a couple of guys fixing a trailer with an arc-welder in the courtyard: "Clearing rocks beats the hell out of machinery," one said. And then there's vineyard management, harvesting, fermenting, racking...

And selling the wines is just as frantic; Paolo was mobbed at the Chianti Classico Anteprima last week, and will be going to both the US and the far east before heading to Germany this month. He's never still.

Notes from the last time I tasted through Isole e Olena, in 2009
A profile of Paolo, from a bit further back

Isole e Olena: The Wines

Isole e Olena has changed a great deal since I first drove up a dirt road looking for the place in the early 1990s. Winemaker Paolo De Marchi was mobbed at Vinitaly, so I made a late morning appointment to discuss some of the changes, and how the estate and his thoughts have developed since the last time I wrote something down. Unfortunately, his early morning appointment went way past morning, so the discussion will have to wait -- after I finished tasting the wines, which took me almost as long as it took him to wrap up his first appointment, his wife Marta and I talked about the pitfalls of raising adolescent boys, and then we simply ate lunch and chatted.

So: the wines.

I started with Paolo's Chardonnay, which featured a surprise this time: To combat problems of corkage, he's experimenting with screw caps, and I got to compare bottles with the two kinds of closure.

Isole e Olena Collezione De Marchi Chardonnay 2007
Lot 808 Screw Cap
This is not an experiment, but is the first vintage that Paolo has applied a screw cap to. It's the same lot as the regular cork-stoppered Chardonnay because they were bottled on the same day. Brassy gold with brilliant golden reflections and white rim. The bouquet is bright and fresh, with deft tropical fruit -- passion fruit and some pineapple supported by barest hints of butterscotch and bright slightly greenish acidity. Quite pleasant and very much alive, in a wide-eyed, welcoming sort of way. On the palate it's full and rich, with clean, elegant white fruit supported by clean bright lemony mineral acidity and by rather languorous hints of butterscotch structure that flow into a long, deft slightly bitter finish. Great control and extremely pleasant to drink; it is the sort of thing that will work well with elegant creamy dishes -- a seductive risotto with shrimp comes to mind, as does the spring standby, asparagus risotto -- and is also the sort of wine you may simply decided to enjoy with a special somebody, far from the table. Impressive.
90-91

Isole e Olena Collezione De Marchi Chardonnay 2007
Lot 808 Cork
Brilliant brassy gold with a very slight greenish cast to the golden reflections that I see and don't see, and white rim. The bouquet is bright, with tropical fruit, a mix of passion fruit and pineapple laced with hints of heather and butterscotch; it does differ slightly from the screw cap, with slight vegetal accents, while the screw cap seems a little crisper. On the palate it's full and rich, with elegant lemony passion fruit with clean bright citric acidity that is less mineral than the screw cap's, and supported by a pleasant languidity from butterscotch and glycerin. It's a bit softer and more seductive than the screw cap wine, and not quite as crisp; in terms of serving suggestions I would go with slightly less creamy dishes, say an elegant fish sauced pasta, or with grilled fish that's flavorful but not too sharp. Sea bass comes to mind. And again, it will be nice far from the table.
90

Comparing them side-by-side is like looking at a pair of twins, who might seem identical at first glance, but reveal differences as one gets to know them; the screw cap wine is just a touch crisper and has a slightly harder edge to it, whereas the cork-stoppered wine is a little softer, and comes across as slightly more seductive. Both are very fine, and which you prefer will be a matter of taste. To continue with the twins analogy, one trains competitively -- the screw cap -- while the other -- the cork stopper -- dances.

Isole e Olena Chianti Classico DOCG 2005
Lot 12.07
Delicate black cherry ruby with black reflections. The bouquet is fairly rich, with brambly cherry fruit supported by slightly greenish acidity and by warm slightly balsamic accents and slight animal tang; as it opens hints of menthol also emerge. Nice balance, and pleasant to sniff, in a slightly underripe key -- it was a wet cold summer and the aromas reflect this. On the palate it's medium bodied and rich, with clean slightly brambly cherry fruit supported by bright acidity that has a greenish cast, and by tannins that have a clean deft burr and flow into a clean sour cherry finish with tannins underpinning. Very pleasant, and a fine food wine; it will work very well with succulent grilled meats, and also with light stews -- beef or pork, while there is also sufficient acidity for it to work well with a platter of mixed fried meats and vegetables.
2 stars

Isole e Olena Chianti Classico DOCG 2006
Lot 4.08
Elegnat cherry ruby with black reflections and white rim. The bouquet is muted -- youth at work, though swishing brings up cherry fruit supported by dusky overtones and some vegetal accents. It opens nicely, but needs another year to get its bearings and develop. On the palate it's medium bodied and rich, with elegant cherry and forest berry fruit supported by smooth sweet tannins -- smoother than those of the 05 -- and by bright slightly citric acidity that flows into a clean fresh slightly sour cherry finish. Very pleasant, and will be very nice with grilled meats or light stews, though it does need another year to come together and develop. Expect it to age well for 5-8 years. Worth seeking out.
88-90

Isole e Olena Vino Atto a Diventare Chianti Classico DOCG 2007
Barrel sample
This is the blend, which will soon go into bottle. It's lively cherry ruby with youthful hints of violets, and has an elegant bouquet that's quite impressive for an unbottled wine, with an abundance of violets and jammy forest berry fruit, in particular blackberries and some black cherries. Youth, snd very nice to sniff. On the palate it's medium bodied with rich cherry and forest berry fruit supported by slight jammy accents and by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean jammy fruit finish; by comparison with the two older wines it's less acidic and consequently comes across as smoother, though there are pleasant bitter accents to provide a counterpoint to the fruit; because of its having less acidity it will be better suited to somewhat drier meats -- in other words, not sausages, nor spare ribs, but rather chops (lamb or pork) or roasts, for example lean roast beef cooked rare.

Isole e Olena Cepparello IGT Toscana 2004
Lot 2.07
Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is rich and powerful, with elegant sour cherry fruit laced with slightly savory acidity and supported by hints of cedar -- there is wood, but it supports discreetly -- and slight greenish accents. Beautiful and very young. On the palate it's full and rich, with powerful cherry fruit supported by deft berry fruit acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean bright cherry finish with some sour savory underpinning. It's well muscled, but very light on its toes, rather like a gymnast, and is quite capable of making what would seem very difficult for others seam easy. Beautiful, and it will lend magic to a meal built around a porterhouse steak, though I would be tempted to set it aside, because it will improve markedly over the next 5-10 and perhaps even 15 years.
92

Isole e Olena Cepparello IGT Toscana 2005
Lot 3.08
Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with moderate cherry fruit supported by fairly intense cedar and some savory accents; there isn't much acidity, and wood is carrying the show. The palate reflects the nose; the wine is fairly rich, with pleasant moderately intense cherry fruit supported by smooth cedar-laced tannins and moderate berry fruit acidity that flow into a clean fairly fresh cedar-laced finish. It's clearly from a weaker vintage, and relies much more on wood than wines from better vintages do. Wood that does a nice job, but for the wine to really work for you, you have to like wines that are oaked -- oaked well, but oaked.
2 stars

Isole e Olena Cepparello IGT Toscana 2006
Lot 10.08
Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is elegant, in a rather haunting key, with clean rich berry fruit laced with sea salt and spice, and also some deft mineral acidity, and slight underbrush. Very pleasant, though still a babe; it's obviously at the beginning of a long journey. On the palate it's full and rich, with powerful cherry fruit supported by deft shadowy berry fruit acidity and by sweet tannins that have a slight youthful burr and flow into a clean sour berry fruit finish with a greenish tannic underpinning. Very pleasant, though it needs time; one could drink it now with a steak or leg of lamb, but to do so would be an infanticide. It will begin to be drinkable in 2-3 years, and age nicely at least through 2020.
90

Isole e Olena Syrah Collezione De Marchi IGT Toscana 2004
Lot 10.06
Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is rich, with jammy berry fruit laced with underbrush and deft mentholated spice. Quite elegant, and still very fresh, with a lot going on. On the palate it's medium bodied and quite rich, with deft, rather languid forest berry fruit, a mixture of blackberry and currant with underlying cherries, supported by moderate tobacco leaf acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean rich berry fruit finish. Quite elegant, and will drink very well with succulent red meats that aren't too fatty; roast beef cooked rare for example, or leg of lamb. It will also age nicely for at least another 5-10 years.
88-90

Isole e Olena Syrah Collezione De Marchi IGT Toscana 2006
An unlabeled sample from the bin where the bottled wines are aging.
Deep violet ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is bright and rich, with considerable underbrush supported by spice, bell pepper, and underlying berry fruit; it's more varietal than the 2004 and though this is perhaps pertly youth, it's also a vintage variation. On the palate it's medium bodied, with rich mineral berry fruit laced with leaf tobacco and supported by deft, almost lacy acidity, and by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean bright berry fruit finish with an underpinning of underbrush. Quite pleasant, and will drink very well with red meats now, though I might be tempted to give it a few years, because it will also do interesting things with time. In short, a wine to buy several bottles of, and to follow.
90

Isole e Olena Cabernet Collezione De Marchi IGT Toscana 2001
Lot 22/4
This is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, though there is just a little Cabernet Franc. It's deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim, and has an elegant bouquet with rich, fairly tart berry fruit supported by clean vegetal accents, and deft bright acidity. I certainly wouldn't have guessed its age without seeing the label. On the palate it's rich and full, with powerful bright cherry fruit supported by bright slightly vegetal cherry acidity, and by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a farly long slightly tart cherry finish. Very pleasant, and will bring magic to a meal featuring hearty red meats, from steak through stewed wild boar. Most impressive, and will age nicely for at least another decade, or perhaps more.
92-3

Isole e Olena Cabernet Collezione De Marchi IGT Toscana 2003
Lot 1.05
Paolo is just starting to sell this vintage -- after several years of bottle age. It's deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The bouquet is deft, with fairly rich jammy berry fruit supported by some greenish spice, slight vegetal accents, and by hints of prunes. Clearly from a hot vintage, though not cooked. On the palate it's full and rich, with fairly sweet dusky cherry and forest berry fruit supported by moderate acidity -- enough to provide direction, but not much more -- and by clean sweet tannins that have some dusky cedar accents, and flow into a clean fairly rich berry fruit finish with peppery spice that does have some bell pepper accents. It's pleasant, in a rather voluptuous fruit driven key that is dictated more by the vintage than by stylistic concerns of the winery; it's also a wine that will drink nicely with flavorful, not too fatty roasts or stews. It's further along than the 2001, but this is because of the vintage.
2 stars

Isole e Olena Vinsanto Del Chianti Classico DOCG 2001
Lot not apparent.
Tawny amber with brilliant dried apricot reflections. The bouquet is mind-bendingly rich, with sweet dried apricots mingled with brown sugar and hints of oatmeal, and rich green walnut skin, and warmth, and a fair amount of alcohol, and polished wood, and… new things keep emerging. On the palate it's rich and full, with powerful dried apricot fruit supported by deft apricot acidity and walnut bitterness that gradually give way to apricot laced sugary warmth, while the walnut skins carry on, slowly emerging with time. A beautiful vinsanto, of the kind that one can sip today and remember (vividly) next year, and if one is blessed with a memory for wines, for much, much longer.
92-3

Proprietà Sperino

Proprietà Sperino is an estate in Northern Piemonte that has been in the De Marchi family for a while, and Paolo has long dreamed of making wines there. Now he is, with his son Luca, who also signs the labels, overseeing things Day to Day.

Proprietà Sperino Uvaggio Coste della Sesia Rosso DOC 2006
Lot L3/08
This is a blend of Nebbiolo, Vespolina and Croatina -- the traditional blend of the region -- and is pale almandine ruby with black reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fresh and tart, with lively sour cherry fruit supported by bright slightly greenish acidity and by barest hints of sandalwood; it's quite pleasant and very welcoming in a wide-eyed sort of way. On the palate it's rich, with bright sour cherry ft supported by lively berry fruit acidity -- a mix of red currant and sour cherry -- and by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean slightly greenish sour cherry finish. Very pleasant, a bright eyed, bushy tailed wine that will work very well at a cookout or with meats off the grill, and is something I would drink sooner than later, because though ti will age nicely for a few years, its freshness is captivating. Expect it to go quickly, and you may want a second bottle.
2 stars

Proprietà Sperino Lessona DOC 2005
Lot 7/08
This wine has both Paolo and his son Luca's signatures on the label; it's a Nebbiolo and is elegant almandine ruby with black reflections and some almandine in the rim. The bouquet is delicate, and still somewhat closed, though swishing brings up cherry and red berry fruit supported by some rosa canina and hints of underbrush, with delicate spice and acidity as well. It's clearly still getting its bearings, but promises quite nicely. On the palate it's full and rich, with brash sour cherry fruit supported by bright berry fruit acidity and by tannins that have a lively greenish burr and flow into a fairly long tart finish. A classic Nebbiolo of the Alto Piemonte, replete with lively aggressiveness, and will drink very well with succulent red meats, either from the oven or the stew pot, and if you prepare a rich platter of mixed grilled meats that's long on things such as ribs (well seasoned) you will find it works well with them too. Impressive, and even those who prefer the smoothness of the more international style will find things to think about; if you're a traditionalist you will enjoy it very much.
90

Proprietà Sperino L'Franc Bandit Vino Da Tavola
Lot CF04
This doesn't have a vintage because it's a table wine and they can't have vintages, but it's a 2004. As the name implies, it's a Cabernet Franc. Deep black cherry ruby with black reflections and cherry rim. The nose is, well, varietal: a tremendous rush of grilled pepper with underlying vegetal accents, and quite pleasant, though still young, and less complex than it likely will be. On the palate it's rich, with lively bell pepper laced berry fruit supported by moderate acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean fresh rather bitter pepper-laced finish. It's a classic Cabernet Franc, and brashly satisfied at being what it is; if you like the varietal you will enjoy the wine. Considerably. If you're less of a Cabernet fan you may like it less, though chances are that you'll still find things to think about and appreciate in it. It will work quite well with grilled meats, hearty roasts, and also stews, including more exotic things such as goulash.
88-90

Want to know more about Isole e Olena? Check Paolo's site. And, if you want to find the wines, check Wineaccess or Snooth.