Description
About Isole e Olena
In the 1950s, the father of current winemaker Paolo de Marchi purchased the adjoining hamlets of Isole and Olena and their estates in the Tuscan commune of Barberino Val d’Elsa. Paolo entered the business in 1976 and the quality of the estates wines improved rapidly after decades of sharecropping.
Di Marchi is one of the regions kings of the Sangiovese grape, at a time when Chianti was a blended wine it was he that stepped out to produce wines that were 100% Sangiovese. The wine, the true embodiment of the word Super Tuscan is the Cepparello IGT which has gone on to become an iconic wine and a benchmark for the Chianti region. The estate also produces stunning Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chianti Classico.
About Piedmont Wine Region
Piedmont is a Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC, or controlled designation of origin) wine region in northwestern Italy. Considered by some as the premier Italian wine region, Piedmont is home to some of the most recognisable and revered wines. Red wines reign supreme, with Nebbiolo the king of red varieties.
Both Barolo and Barbaresco are DOCG wines made entirely from the Nebbiolo grape in the Langhe hills around Alba and each is named after a village within its production zone. Nebbiolo is also grown outside the above DOCGs and labelled d ‘Alba or Langhe, with other red varieties including Dolcetto and Barbera. White wines play a supporting role, but look for Gavi from the Cortese grape and Arneis produced in the Roero zone near Alba. The delicious, low-alcohol sparkling wines of Asti are produced from the Moscato grape.
Climate: Generally cooler Mediterranean climate, with hot summers, foggy autumns, cold winters and low rainfall
Soil: Calcareous marl and sandstone
Key Varietals: Arneis, Barbera, Cortese, Dolcetto, Gavi, Moscato and Nebbiolo
