Storia
Two hamlets before the estate
Isole and Olena began as two inhabited rural hamlets approximately one kilometre apart. Around 130 people formed a self-sufficient sharecropping community, cultivating the land and making wine both for domestic consumption and for sale to local merchants.
1956–1967: the formation of Isole e Olena
Isole e Olena officially came into being in 1956. Francesco De Marchi, a lawyer from Piemonte, recognized the potential of the two hamlets, acquired them and united them as a single estate.
A legislative change brought sharecropping to an end in 1964. The associated rural way of life declined as inhabitants left the countryside for the cities, transforming both hamlets. Another important regional change followed in 1967, when Chianti Classico obtained Denominazione di Origine Controllata status.
The estate produced its first Chianti Classico in 1969. It became an early part of the modern quality revival of Chianti Classico and remained the wine most closely rooted in the estate’s history.
1976: Paolo De Marchi and a new vineyard model
Francesco’s son, Paolo De Marchi, took control of the estate in 1976. He rejected a production model centred on quantity and began a long programme of observation and selection in the vineyards. Before each harvest, he marked the vines that most closely matched his quality criteria with ribbons. Repeating this process over several years allowed him to identify the most promising Sangiovese plants.
Paolo selected and propagated those vines in a dedicated selection vineyard. His objective was to make a wine entirely from the estate’s best Sangiovese, departing from the then-established Chianti Classico practice of combining red and white grapes.
1980–1987: new varieties and estate wines
In 1980, Paolo created Cepparello as a pure Sangiovese project. At the time, the appellation rules required the inclusion of other grape varieties, so the wine remained outside the denomination and retained Toscana IGT classification. Its creation became the foundation for the subsequent development of the estate, its vineyards and its wines. Cepparello continues to be released annually on 1 April.
Experimentation extended to other varieties. Syrah was grafted onto existing vines in 1984. The first Chardonnay followed in 1987, after selected French Chardonnay clones were grafted onto white-grape varieties already growing at the estate.
2022: new ownership and continuity
In 2022, the De Marchi family transferred ownership to Christopher Descours and his family. The new owners adopted the estate’s established direction while bringing additional resources to develop and communicate its viticultural heritage. A long-serving team remained in place, with Emanuele Reolon leading Isole e Olena as Estate Director and oenologist. The continuing objective is to express the character of the estate’s territory through authentic wines while conserving its vineyards, landscape and two historic hamlets.
Terroir
Isole e Olena lies in San Donato in Poggio, midway between Florence and Siena in the western part of Chianti Classico. The vineyards surrounding the two hamlets cover 56 hectares and occupy rolling terrain between 300 and 500 metres above sea level.
The broader vineyard soils contain clay schist, limestone and sandstone. More detailed descriptions identify limestone, clay slate, marl and sandstone across the estate. The principal vineyard exposures are generally south to southwest.
The western Tuscan position has a milder climate than other parts of the area. Summer sea breezes cool the vineyards and help maintain vine health. Woods and meadows interrupt and surround the planted land, creating an ecosystem that influences vineyard conditions.
Individual sectors express this setting differently. Chardonnay sites occupy the northeastern side of the property at 350–450 metres, surrounded by forest and rooted in limestone mixed with marly clay slate. The Syrah vineyard lies at 350–400 metres on south- to southwest-facing marly-schist soils. Cabernet Sauvignon occupies south- to southwest-facing ground at 300–400 metres on marly schist and limestone. The Sangiovese selected for Cepparello comes preferentially from the estate’s sunniest, windiest vineyards with well-drained galestro and limestone soils.
Vinificazione
Work in the vineyards is conceived as an artisanal activity and includes operations carried out by hand. The estate’s best-documented selection practice began with Paolo De Marchi marking the most promising vines with ribbons before harvest. Repeated observation over successive seasons identified superior Sangiovese material for propagation in a selection parcel; the selection continues to be updated.
Vineyard management is placed within a wider landscape programme. Woods and meadows around the 56 ha of vines are retained as parts of an ecosystem considered beneficial to vineyard balance. Major work has also been undertaken on the terraces, whose structural purpose is to limit soil erosion.
The cultivated landscape extends beyond vines. Old local fruit varieties—including almond, peach, plum, apple, quince and jujube—have been planted, while the two hamlets are maintained through limited, conservation-minded restoration. Together, these measures express an approach centred on preserving the relationship among cultivated land, uncultivated habitats and historic settlement.
Winemaking is organized around an artisanal model encompassing vinification, fining and maturation. Each phase is handled with close attention and precision rather than presented as a standardized recipe. Isole is the production centre and contains the ageing cellars as well as the tasting spaces.
The cellar uses several vessels according to the material being handled, including stainless-steel tanks, conical French-oak vats, small barrels, barriques, tonneaux, large casks and traditional caratelli. Maturation may combine vessels of different sizes and ages. The estate also employs extended bottle ageing for selected releases and prolonged contact with fine lees for Chardonnay.
Traditional Vin Santo is made by drying Malvasia and Trebbiano on racks for approximately three months, gently pressing the dried fruit and fermenting it slowly. It then remains for 11 years in sealed caratelli of different capacities and woods, continuously in contact with the mother yeast.
Filosofia
Isole e Olena defines winegrowing as a craft: vineyard observation, manual work, cellar technique and care for terraces all belong to the same artisanal discipline. Skill and accumulated knowledge are paired with close attention to each production phase.
Its philosophy accepts that people inevitably influence terroir. The objective is therefore an active but balanced dialogue with nature rather than the absence of human intervention. Land is to be used in harmony with its surroundings, with reciprocal care for the resources it provides.
This principle extends beyond the vines to woodland, meadows, erosion-controlling terraces, local fruit trees and the historic fabric of Isole and Olena. Restoration is undertaken only when necessary, preserving the character of both hamlets.
Continuity does not exclude experimentation. Paolo De Marchi’s vineyard selection, pure-Sangiovese project and work with other varieties exemplify a willingness to move beyond convention when observation supports a different course. The values presented as constant are protection of the territory, artisanal precision, balance, authenticity and the expression of place.