Isole e Olena Chianti Classico 2020

Winemaker Paolo de Marchi built the reputation for Isole e Olena through 45 years of hard work and innovation and became one of the most highly respected winemakers in all of the world. Fellow winemakers from all over the globe, from Santa Barbara to Sonoma, Burgundy to the Rheinhessen, hundreds of producers have made the pilgrimage to Isole e Olena to visit one of the world’s most magnificent properties, a 200-acre testimony to viticultural genius. We ourselves made this journey in late October 2024 and our breath was taken away by the unbelievably beautiful vistas and vineyards at Isole e Olena. The steep and winding roads up to this mecca of Chianti Classico was a ride we will never forget and a memory to be cherished.    

At the start of his journey at Isole, Paolo took control of a poorly-tended family estate, and over the course of a thirty-year career, transformed it into a jewel of Tuscany. In the beginning, he traveled, learning about viticulture in Piemonte, France and California. Paolo realized that Sangiovese was an incredibly temperamental variety and extremely difficult to bring to full maturity. When the grapes reached optimal sugar levels, they still had not reached physiological maturity, resulting in wines that were hard, under ripe, and brick in color. By the late 1990’s, Paolo headed a project called "Chianti 2000," where he partnered with other elite Tuscan producers, working with local oenologists and laboratories to study clonal options, vine spacing in the vineyards and sun exposure. The project helped develop new Sangiovese clones, specifically designed for the tight spacing and low yields that Paolo knew to be essential for creating world-class Sangiovese at Isole. His vineyards needed to be completely overhauled, a monumental task given the poor market conditions at the time. By 2001, the majority of Isole e Olena had been replanted, leaving only the old-vine Canaiolo as a reminder of Paolo’s first days at Isole.

Isole and Olena are two tiny villages located on opposite ends of Paolo's estate. Rich forest gives way to beautiful hillside vineyards, which are planted in tightly-spaced rows of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay. Paolo de Marchi always tended his vines naturally, to produce grapes that lend themselves to fine, aromatically complex wines. His goal was to make wine that best reflects the nature of his vineyards as well as the year, making powerful wines when the vintage allows it, and making elegant, pretty wines when appropriate. Today his methods and quality requirements are being continued by the new ownership, the EPI Group, owners of Charles Heidsieck champagne and Biondi-Santi in Montalcino.

The Isole e Olena Chianti Classico is a wine of such incredible finesse and elegance that makes one think that Paolo must drink a lot of Burgundy. Supple, elegant and perfumed, this blend of 80% Sangiovese, 17% Canaiolo, and 3% Syrah is the result of pristine quality fruit grown in high-density, naturally-farmed vineyards. It is pure and high-toned with a beautiful balance between fruit and acidity. The nose is gorgeous, redolent of red flowers, Asian spice and a touch of anise. The weighty mid-palate is layered with black cherry fruit, leather and earth. The finish is fine and lengthy; it lingers softly on the palate, long after the last sip is gone. Year in, year out, Paolo de Marchi sets the highest standard for Chianti. The wines of Isole e Olena are uncanny in their ability to enhance and complement – not overpower – great food. Pair this Chianti Classico with a variety of dishes, from antipasto to Bucatini all'Amatriciana to ragout of wild boar.