Chianti Classico (375 ml)

Paolo De Marchi arrived at Isole e Olena in 1976 and spent the following decades systematically replanting the estate's vineyards to Sangiovese clones selected for the specific galestro and alberese soils of Barberino Val d'Elsa — a deliberate rejection of the international-variety blending that dominated Tuscany at the time. The estate sits in the western arc of the Chianti Classico zone, where thin, rocky galestro schist over alberese clay forces deep root penetration, concentrating fruit while preserving the high natural acidity that defines the appellation. Fermentation is carried out in temperature-controlled stainless steel, followed by aging in large Slavonian oak casks (botti grandi) rather than small barriques — a deliberate choice to let site expression dominate over wood. The result is Sangiovese that retains its characteristic dried-cherry and iron-mineral tension without the vanilla overlay common in barrique-aged peers. The 375 ml format makes this one of the rare half-bottle expressions of a Chianti Classico DOCG from a single-estate producer of this standing, offering the same cellar-worthy structure in a format suited to immediate exploration. Drink now through 4–6 years from vintage.