Isole e Olena
Isole e Olena is definitely not an unfamiliar name in Tuscany. Since its founding, the winery has been one of the bigger players in the Chianti region. The farm where the winery is located dates back to the 18th century, but the winery itself has existed since 1956. In that year, the De Marchi family bought the old estate in the Chianti Classico area. Paolo De Marchi is the one who breathed new life into the winery after many years. Paolo started working at Isole e Olena after completing his studies at the wine university and various internships in California. He arrived with a bag full of new ideas. Among other things, he provided new stainless steel tanks and a new horizontal press. Thanks to these adjustments, he has managed to raise the quality of the wine to an even higher level.
The estate has an area of 300 hectares, out of which 36 hectares are destined for viticulture. The main grape variety is of course the Sangiovese, but Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Canaiolo and Chardonnay are also grown. The grapes are picked by hand from late September to early October. On the sorting table, only the high-quality grapes are selected. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. After fermentation, the wines are aged in French oak. Cepparello is the flagship of Isole e Olena. This wine is made of 100% Sangiovese and is aged for 18 months in French and American oak. Because the wine does not meet the requirements set for the DOCG (Chianti Classico), the wine is classified as IGT Toscana: really a Super Tuscan!
Cepparello 2011 was voted the best Super Tuscan by the Swiss wine magazine Vinum. With this award, Isole e Olena leaves the famous Antinori Solaia and Tignanello behind. Both the 2016 and 2017 received 97 points from Robert Parker and 95 points from James Suckling, making these the two most iconic vintages of Cepparello of recent years!
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