Isole e Olena represents one of the most important winemaking realities of the Chianti Classico, of which it is configured as a faithful and wise interpreter. The winery is located in the municipality of Barberino Val d'Elsa, halfway between Florence and Siena, where in 1956 the De Marchi family, of Piedmontese origin, bought this property whose name derives from the nearby towns of Isole and di Olena. 1976 was the turning point, when Paolo De Marchi, a young winemaker returning from an experience in the Napa Valley, took over the viticultural and oenological reins of the estate, starting to experiment with the planting of international varieties and aiming at the same time on pure Sangiovese , at the time in contrast with the popular "Chianti formula" which provided for the addition of other black and white grape varieties. Thus was born, in 1980, the 'Cepparello', a label that wrote the history of the cellar and the territory, among the symbols of the Chianti wine renaissance. In 2022 the property was acquired by the French Epi family group.
The 56 hectares of vineyards belonging to the Tuscan Isole e Olena winery are located at an altitude between 350 and 490 meters above sea level, on soils characterized by an abundant presence of clay, galestro and sandstone. Alongside the autochthonous Sangiovese and Canaiolo varieties, the estate cultivates the international vines Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Chardonnay and Viognier. The harvests are carried out by hand with a careful selection of the bunches and after the fermentations, carried out in steel tanks and oak vats, the masses age mainly in barriques of first or more passages.
Those of Isole and Olena are wines of sublime elegance and class, which are configured as maximum territorial expressions, as in the case of 'Cepparello', Chianti Classico and Vin Santo, or they are pioneering in showing the potential vocation of the area towards vines international, as in the case of the 'Collezione Privata' line. Beyond the label in question, the bottles of Isole e Olena fully reflect the style and skill of their creator Paolo De Marchi.ù
Address:
Località Isole 1, 50021 - Barberino Val d'Elsa (FI), Italy
