Grape Varieties
80% Sangiovese. 20% Canaiolo
Winery
The name 'Isole e Olena' came about in the 1950s when two adjoining estates, 'Isole' and 'Olena' were purchased by the De Marchi family and combined to form one. The history of both estates dates back many hundreds of years, and the earliest documentation of the village of Olena goes as far back as the 12th Century. During the 1950s, the De Marchi family planted new specialised vineyards and expanded the cellars. Today, the Isole e Olena estate is run by Paolo De Marchi, his wife Marta and his sons. Paolo comes from a family with three generations of winemaking experience in the northern part of Piemonte.
Winemaker
Paolo De Marchi
Viticulture
The grapes are grown on the Isole e Olena estate which covers 290 hectares, of which 49 are planted with vines and 42 are in production. The vineyards are approximately 400 metres above sea level and face south-west. The oldest vines on the estate were planted in 1958 and the youngest in 1999.
Winemaking & Maturation
Following a cold winter and a wet spring, flowering was slightly problematic, but a warm summer spurred good vegetative growth. A hailstorm on 8 August caused significant damage, considerable reducing yields. Fortunately, quality wasn‘t compromised. Hot and dry conditions in August and September scorched some of the grapes making harvest more difficult than usual as a more thorough selection process was necessary. Harvest began earlier than usual with the red grapes being picked from 22 September until 15 October. Paolo De Marchi has described the vintage as "optimum but difficult". Fermentation took place in tank with 15 days maceration and delestage and pumping-over twice a day. Delestage produces wines with good colour and soft tannins. The tank is emptied, the cap allowed to dry out for two to three hours and then the fermenting must is poured back over the cap. De Marchi used this ‘rack and return‘ method for all red wines from 1997. Maturation took place in barrel (with 15% new oak) and 4000 litre oak casks where it remained for a year until bottling. The wine was aged further 3-4 months in bottle before release.
Tasting Note
Bright ruby red with a youthful rim. Intensely perfumed, with the blackberry and spiced red and black fruit of top quality Sangiovese, together with the purity of fruit and delicate touch characteristic of Isole e Olena. Tightly structured on the palate, with rounded tannins and a long finish.
