About Isole e Olena
Isole e Olena is a family-owned estate located in the Chianti Classico zone of Tuscany, Italy, owned and managed by Paolo De Marchi since 1976. The estate is known for producing benchmark Chianti Classico wines as well as a highly regarded Cabernet Sauvignon-based Super Tuscan called Cepparello. De Marchi is also recognized for his work with native varieties such as Syrah and Chardonnay, produced under the Collezione De Marchi label.
Prices are for take away and shipping. The wine bar serves from its own list.
The winery
About Isole e Olena
History
In the 1950s Isole and Olena were two hamlets about a kilometre apart in the heart of Chianti Classico, where sharecropping was still the rule. Around 130 people lived there, farming and making wine for their own use or for local merchants. In 1956 Francesco De Marchi, a lawyer from Piedmont, joined the two into a single estate.
A law ended sharecropping in 1964 and the countryside emptied, and Chianti Classico won its DOC in 1967. In 1976 Francesco's son Paolo De Marchi took charge. Before each harvest he tied ribbons on the most promising vines, and after years of watching them he picked the best Sangiovese and planted it in a parcel of its own.
The land and the vineyards
Fifty six hectares of vines surround the two hamlets, near San Donato in Poggio. They climb from 300 to 500 metres above sea level on clay schist, limestone and sandstone. Summer sea breezes keep the vines cool and healthy, and Chianti Classico woods and meadows surround them.
The work is done by hand. The estate has rebuilt old terraces to hold the soil against erosion, and has planted old local fruit trees such as almond, peach, plum, apple, quince and jujube to add variety to the landscape.
The wines
The best known wine is Cepparello, a pure Sangiovese. It grew from a project begun in 1980 and is sold as an IGT, which was the only option when the rules of the time required other grapes in the blend. It is released every year on 1 April. The estate also makes Chianti Classico, Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Vin Santo and an extra virgin olive oil.
Today
In 2022 the De Marchi family passed the estate to Christopher Descours and his family, who the estate says share the same vision. Emanuele Reolon is the estate director. Visits and tastings can be arranged through the winery.
- Founded
- 1956
- Vineyards (hectares)
- 56
- Main grapes
- Sangiovese
- Owners
- Descours family (since 2022)