The link between the grape and the land on which the vines are cultivated is of vital importance for the wines of the great Paolo de Marchi.

Having concluded more than 40 harvests in the family-owned estate Isole e Olena at the west part of the Chianti Classico zone, the winemaker from Alto Piemonte who is doing great things in Tuscany takes pride in his Chianti’s typicality. His wines have never followed market-imposed standards or global trends and maintained their originality. In the eyes of Paolo, Sangiovese is a precious grape, Tuscany’s gift to the world. Back in the 1980s he was the first one to produce a 100% Sangiovese wine. This wine, which he named Cepparello after a small creek that crosses his estate, became the leader in a wine category known to this day as the Super Tuscans. The first thing we apprehend in Isole e Olena’s wines is the year. Whether it is a vintage or a milder year, the characteristics of each harvest are visible in the bottle. This is part of Paolo de Marchi’s winemaking philosophy. Don’t bother looking for richness, force, extractions, concentrations or oak tree aromas in Isole e Olena’s wines. Sangiovese’s typicality is all about freshness, wild cherries, straightforwardness and a flavour which have become increasingly rare in contemporary wines. Cepparello on the other hand, is the quintessence of this Tuscan variety. The raw material comes from the estate’s best vineyards and vinification takes place in wooden tanks. It is a great wine not due to its concentration but because of its freshness, refinement, precision and finesse. It is a wine full of intensity and depth which ages in a remarkable fashion. Sangiovese has always been Paolo de Marchi’s passion; however, he has also pioneered the integration of international varieties in the region and has planted Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah in his estate. In an era of high-tech wines, Paolo remains faithful in his quest for new challenges in every harvest in a tireless effort to produce wines that reflect their year. We at Mr. Vertigo believe that this is the very definition of terroir-driven wines.