There is probably no producer in Tuscany more respected by fellow winemakers than Paolo de Marchi. From Santa Barbara to Sonoma, Burgundy to the Rheinhessen, hundreds of producers have made the pilgrimage to Isole e Olena to visit one of the world’s most magnificent properties, a 200-acre testimony to viticultural genius. At the start of his journey at Isole, Paolo took control of a poorly-tended family estate, and over the course of a thirty-year career, has transformed it into the jewel of Tuscany. In the beginning, he traveled, learning about viticulture in Piemonte, France and California. Paolo realized that Sangiovese was an incredibly temperamental variety and extremely difficult to bring to full maturity. When the grapes reached optimal sugar levels, they still had not reached physiological maturity, resulting in wines that were hard, under ripe, and brick in color. By the late 1990’s, Paolo headed a project called "Chianti 2000," where he partnered with other elite Tuscan producers, working with local oenologists and laboratories to study clonal options, vine spacing in the vineyards and sun exposure. The project helped develop new Sangiovese clones, specifically designed for the tight spacing and low yields that Paolo knew to be essential for creating world-class Sangiovese at Isole. His vineyards needed to be completely overhauled, a monumental task given the poor market conditions at the time. By 2001, the majority of Isole e Olena had been replanted, leaving only the old-vine Canaiolo as a reminder of Paolo’s first days at Isole.

Isole and Olena are two tiny villages located on opposite ends of Paolo's estate. Rich forest gives way to beautiful hillside vineyards, which are planted in tightly-spaced rows of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay. Paolo de Marchi tends his vines naturally, to produce grapes that lend themselves to fine, aromatically complex wines. His goal is to make wine that best reflects the nature of his vineyards as well as the year, making powerful wines when the vintage allows it, and making elegant, pretty wines when appropriate.

Paolo de Marchi's Cepparello is made from 100% Sangiovese. The first vintage of the wine was in in 1980, when the DOC laws of Chianti did not allow for wines made from 100% Sangiovese to be labeled as Chianti. Instead, Paolo spearheaded the monovarietal Sangiovese Super Tuscan style of wine. Indeed, the Isole e Olena Cepparello is without a doubt one of the most important, historic and iconic wines in all of Italy.