Isole e Olena Chardonnay Val d'Elsa Toscana

Paolo De Marchi’s Isole e Olena Chardonnay is now considered one of Italy’s finest, the style being richer and more Burgundian than others in the country. With each vintage he seems to get a wonderful balance of fruit and oak with great complexity and length. It is unfortunate that these wines sell out so quickly, as they age superbly. The secret of the quality Paolo transmits in the bottle lies in the vineyards. He is a superb viticoltore and has always been ahead of the field in Chianti. Paolo’s endless pursuit of perfection results in wines where the delicate balance is finely tuned with each vintage. (6 x 75 cl)

The Chianti Classico from Isole e Olena is a light but brilliant ruby colour with an alluring, Pinot-like nose and soft, accessible fruit on the palate. The name Isole e Olena was conceived in the 1950’s when two adjoining estates, Isole and Olena were purchased by the De Marchi family and were combined to form one. The history of both estates dates back many hundreds of years, and the earliest documentation of the village of Olena as far back as the 12th Century. Isole e Olena, run by winemaker and owner Paolo De Marchi since 1976, is now firmly established as one of the forerunners in the Chianti region, and few producers can match the estate for quality and value. Paolo has led the way in viticultural innovation in Tuscany for the last 15 years, planting a wide range of different clones in his 45 hectares of vineyard, experimenting extensively with the Sangiovese grape, and employing modern vinification and ageing techniques where appropriate to produce wines of superior quality. (12 x 75 cl)

The grapes for Cepparello are picked from the best sites on the Isole e Olena estate in Chianti Classico. The concept and style of Cepparello was developed by Paolo De Marchi over a period beginning in the mid-1970’s. Paolo is a fourth generation winemaker and his vineyards are superbly tended. The vineyards are situated 400 metres above sea level, facing south-west. The grapes were harvested by hand, usually during the second and third week in October, once they reach complete ripeness. (6 x 75 cl)

The grapes for Cepparello are picked from the best sites on the Isole e Olena estate in Chianti Classico. The concept and style of Cepparello was developed by Paolo De Marchi over a period beginning in the mid-1970’s. Paolo is a fourth generation winemaker and his vineyards are superbly tended. The vineyards are situated 400 metres above sea level, facing south-west. The grapes were harvested by hand, usually during the second and third week in October, once they reach complete ripeness. The Cepparello from Isole e Olena has a lifted nose of ripe raspberry and cranberry. The palate is initially quite subdued but has good definition and is well balanced. (6 x 75 cl)

The grapes for Cepparello are picked from the best sites on the Isole e Olena estate in Chianti Classico. The concept and style of Cepparello was developed by Paolo De Marchi over a period beginning in the mid-1970's. Paolo is a fourth generation winemaker and his vineyards are superbly tended. The vineyards are situated 400 metres above sea level, facing south-west. The grapes were harvested by hand, usually during the second and third week in October, once they reach complete ripeness. The Cepparello from Isole e Olena has a lifted nose of ripe raspberry and cranberry. The palate is initially quite subdued but has good definition and is well balanced. Available in 1.5 Litre Magnum bottles. (6 x 75 cl)

Ripe but gamey and velvety. (6 x 75 cl)

Dark berry fruit is layered and structured yet supple and long. All the grapes are grown on the Isole e Olena estate’s 45 hectares of vineyards. The vineyards are situated on the western border of the Chianti Classico zone, at approximately 350-400 metres above sea level, while the vineyards are south-southwest facing. Grapes were harvested on the second half of October and the must was macerated on the skins for four weeks. During this time, delestage and pumping over took place twice a day. After the malolactic fermentation was complete, the wine was racked into barrel. 100% barrel ageing took place, 50% in new oak for 24 months. The wine was then released 2 years after bottling. (6 x 75 cl)

Untouchable! (12 x 37.5 cl)

Ranks as one of Tuscany's best. (6 x 75 cl)