2009 Isole e Olena Vin Santo del Chianti Classico

Isole e Olena is a 125-acre estate in Val d’Elsa, Tuscany. The estate was formed in the 1950s when two adjoining estates, the Isole and the Olena, were purchased by the de Marchi family. Located in the heart of the Chianti Classico region, the estate today is run by Paolo de Marchi and his family. Known for their Chiantis, the estate also produces highly regarded Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and a Vin Santo. Still, it is the Sangiovese-based wines that are the most famous. The Cepparello is a 100% Sangiovese that Robert M. Parker Jr. calls “superb, one of Tuscany’s best high-end 100% Sangiovese bottlings.” About 200,000 bottles in total are produced annually.

Chianti is Tuscany’s most famous and historic wine district, and the Chianti Classico DOCG is the most prestigious Chianti appellation. Fittingly, it is located in the heart of the larger Chianti DOCG. Chianti’s wines were so esteemed during the Renaissance that the Medici princes of Florence designated several villages within the Chianti region as discrete production zones, setting up the first appellations in Italy. By the 20th century Chianti was Italy’s primary wine export. But the pizza parlor Chiantis sent to foreign markets were inexpensive, unremarkable reds presented in round-bottomed, straw-covered bottles. To upgrade Chianti wines and the region’s image, the Chianti Classico DOC was created in 1967, then upgraded to DOCG status in 1984, with additional modifications made in 1996. In the last 20 years a consortium of Chianti Classico producers have researched new Sangiovese clones, replanted vineyards, updated cellar practices and generally made Chianti Classico DOCG a world-class appellation. Chianti Classico must contain a minimum of 75% Sangiovese. In the 2014 edition of its annual compendium of wine ratings, Gambero Rosso noted that Chianti Classico DOCG wines were noteworthy for their “significant return to a more defined style, true to tradition.”