Isole e Olena and Cepparello: new releases from this important Chianti Classico estate
Back in 1956, just as sharecropping was ending, the De Marchi family of Piedmont bought two estates in San Donato, from the villages of Isole and Olena, and merged them to form Isole e Olena. Paolo de Marchi then went on to be a transforming force in Chianti Classico, which at the time was all about quantity with little regard for quality.
He realised that viticulture needed to change, and he was also a big believer in Sangiovese. At the time, the recipe for Chianti Classico was that it has 15-30% of Trebbiano, a white grape, in the blend. But what few realise is that the legal allowance for Trebbiano was based on the area under vine, not the volume of grapes. So with Trebbiano’s heroic yields, 30% could mean 50% of the grapes in the blend.
‘Paolo brought the Piedmontese style to Tuscany,’ says Emanuele Reolon (pictured above), Technical Director who started his role in September 2023, a year after Isole e Olena was sold to the EPI Group, who also own Biondi Santi and the two Heidsiecks in Champagne. ‘He was able to create a unique place here because of his Piedmontese style and his handling of Nebbiolo. He treated Sangiovese like Nebbiolo.’ Reolon continues: ‘at that time Chianti Classico was all about quantity. He realized the ability of Sangiovese to create great wines, and he was able to convince the community to do things in a different way. He started to make vineyards on terraces: at that time the terraces were abandoned because of a lack of people, which led wineries to mechanize more. Up and down rows created soil erosion and problems for the future.’
Paolo went on to create Cepparello in 1980, the second ever wine to be just Sangiovese. After he sold to EPI in 2022 he stayed on a short while, but then decided to leave in 2024. Reolon is quick to point out that the changes the new owners are making are in line with Paolo’s vision. ‘We are trying to follow the vision of Isole e Olena: freshness and elegance, and capturing the extraordinary terroir.’ There are 56 hectares of vines, 16 hectares of olive trees and 250 hectares of forest on the estate, which varies in altitude from 300-500 m.
Of these new releases, the 2023 Chardonnay and 2022 Cepparello were both paired with older examples, and we also tasted the 2022 Chianti Classico. Reolon blended these two reds, but didn’t make them.
The Chardonnay was first made in 1987, and was unusual for the time. Paolo planted it because he loved Burgundy. There are now 6 hectares here, making 20 000 bottles a year, with three of these being the original plantings.
As with many wine estates, there’s a recognition here that some change is needed because of climate chaos. They have lost two weeks of maturation for both Chardonnay and Sangiovese, and are actively looking at longer-cycle clones, as well as rootstocks that are more suited to the current climate. There’s also a move away from small oak to larger format. They are also studying their soils in depth, and last year started working with Pedro Parra.
One distinctive feature about Isole e Olena is their closure choice. They started bottling Cepparello with screwcap back in 2005, just for the UK and Australia. The rules stop them using this for Chianti Classico, but they are true believers in screwcaps for all their wines. ‘If it would be possible we’d bottle Chianti Classico with screwcap today,’ says Reolon.
THE WINES
Isole e Olena Chardonnay 2023 IGT Toscana, Italy
14.5% alcohol. This was a difficult vintage in Tuscany with lots of rain. It was also a low acid year so malolactic was blocked. Fermented and aged in 228 litre French oak, one-third new. Focused with nice density, showing sweet pear and peach fruit with plenty of ripeness. Rich but still quite pure with measured oak impact adding a touch of spice. Mealy on the finish. This is a really nice wine but the continued success of Chardonnay in Tuscany may be in threat with climate change. 92/100
Isole e Olena Chardonnay 2013 IGT Toscana, Italy
14% alcohol. I was amazed by this wine. This is full gold in colour with some honey, spice and nuts on the nose. The palate is still fresh with lovely focused pear and peach fruit and a touch of apricot. There are spicy mineral notes and nice acidity. Very fine and expressive, drinking beautifully now. 95/100
Isole e Olena Chianti Classico 2022 Italy
14.5% alcohol. 90% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo, all destemmed, and aged in foudres of 2000-2700 litres. This was a very hot vintage, but good work in blending and selecting has resulted in a brilliant wine. Powerful, intense and vivid with taut black cherry fruit and some firm tannins. This shows freshness and structure but also lovely fruit focus with wonderful purity. Taut and compressed. 95/100
Isole e Olena Cepparello 2022 IGT Toscana, Italy
15% alcohol. This pioneering supertuscan used to be all small oak, but in 2022 25% of the blend is aged in large oak, and for 2024 this is 50%. They want 18 months in wood, but can’t do this with just barriques any more: the wine would be too developed. Brooding, tarry, spicy nose with nice red cherry and berry fruits. The palate is bold, juicy and bright with raspberry and red cherry fruit, showing freshness with lovely juiciness and some redcurrant hints. This is fruit forward but also has good structure. It’s quite Nebbiolo-like, with amazing precision, focus and elegance (even at 15% alcohol). 95/100
Isole e Olena Cepparello 2013 IGT Toscana, Italy
14% alcohol. Screwcapped. This shows ripe black fruits with some balsamic savouriness and some slightly rubbery reductive hints, as well as tar and spice. Ripe with nice intensity. This is mature but still has potential for further development. 93/100
