Producer
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 specialised vineyards and expanded the cellars. Today, the estate is run by Paolo De Marchi and his wife Marta. Paolo comes from a family with three generations of winemaking experience in the northern part of Piemonte and his older son, Luca, now runs the family estate there, Proprietà Sperino.
Vineyards
The first Syrah vines were grafted onto old Canaiolo vines in 1984. Paolo De Marchi’s intention was originally to use the Syrah in the Chianti Classico blend, together with Sangiovese and Canaiolo. The 1984 Chianti Classico DOCG regulations permitted the addition of 10% of non-traditional grape varieties. As a result, many producers used Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. De Marchi was more interested in Syrah, and was so encouraged by the results that in 1987 he planted a new, two-hectare vineyard with Syrah clones from the Rhône, with high density of planting. The Syrah was subsequently released as a varietal and also comprises a small part of the Chianti Classico blend. The Syrah grapes are now planted on three hectares of vineyard.
Vinification
The grapes were destemmed and fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, with 10 days maceration on the skins. During fermentation, temperatures reached 26-30°C. Délestage and pumping over took place once a day. The maceration tank was emptied of fermenting must, the cap was allowed to dry out for two to three hours and then the must was poured back over the cap. De Marchi first experimented with this method in 1996 and subsequently began using it for all red wines from the 1997 vintage. The wine spent one year in barrel, of which 20% was new French and American oak. It aged in bottle for two years before release.