Isole e Olena: Cabernet Sauvignon
Collezione De Marchi 1986-2010<table><tbody><tr><td>2010 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi &nbsp; &nbsp;
 </td>
 <td>
 98
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2008 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi
 </td>
 <td>
 97+
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2007 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2006 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2004 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi 
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2001 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi 
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2000 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi 
 </td>
 <td>
 90
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1999 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi 
 </td>
 <td>
 97
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1998 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi 
 </td>
 <td>
 94+
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1997 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi 
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1996 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi 
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1995 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi 
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1994 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi 
 </td>
 <td>
 88
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1993 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi 
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1991 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi 
 </td>
 <td>
 90
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1989 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi 
 </td>
 <td>
 88
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1988 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi 
 </td>
 <td>
 96
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1986 Isole e Olena Cabernet
 Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi 
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1999&nbsp;Isole e Olena&nbsp;Chardonnay Collezione De
 Marchi 
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
</tbody></table>

Although Paolo De Marchi is best known
for the sublime Sangioveses he crafts at Isole e Olena, his Cabernet Sauvignon is
just as viscerally thrilling, as this vertical tasting amply proved.

Originally from Northern Piedmont,
proprietor Paolo De Marchi is much more reserved than many of his colleagues. Then
again, with wines like these words are superfluous. De Marchi is emphatic in
stating he is not a huge fan of international varieties in Tuscany. Like many winemakers,
though, De Marchi could not resist the urge to experiment a little in the
1980s, when the craze for international grapes was taking hold of Italy. De
Marchi planted some Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Syrah, and labeled his
wines Collezione De Marchi to differentiate them from his family’s Isole e
Olena wines. It is one of life’s great ironies that De Marchi has proven just
as skilled with international grapes as he is with Sangiovese! As it turns out,
De Marchi’s Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the great wines of Tuscany, but beyond
that, it can also stand next to the very best Cabernets from anywhere in the
world. Almost all of the wines in this extensive vertical were outstanding, and
many were sublime. For more on Isole e Olena, readers might enjoy this <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/multimedia/isole-e-olena-with-paolo-de-marchi-aug-2013">short
video</a> I shot right after the tasting, and a <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;q=isole+Cepparello+">companion
vertical</a> of the estate’s flagship Cepparello we originally published last
year.

De Marchi grafted his first Cabernet
Sauvignon vines onto existing Canaiolo rootstock in 1984 using clones he
sourced from Alceo di Napoli at Castello dei Rampolla, who had in turn
gotten the wood from Niccolò Incisa della Rocchetta at Tenuta San
Guido. The plant material is believed to have originated at a Bordeaux First
Growth and was a combination of various old clones that included some Cabernet
Franc. De Marchi planted a second
parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1987, a bit more Cabernet Franc in 1990, and a
dash of Petit Verdot in 2001. The original 1984 parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon was
taken out in 2007 and is only going to be replanted next year, a time frame for
letting land lay fallow that is practically unheard of in today’s frenetic world.

The early vintages of the estate’s Cabernet Sauvignon included about 3-4%
Cabernet Franc. Since 2003, the blend has been predominantly Cabernet
Sauvignon, with 8-9% Cabernet Franc and about 1% Petit Verdot. De Marchi gives his
Cabernet Sauvignon 30 months in barrel, 40-50% new, an aging regime that has
been fairly constant over the years. Although De Marchi has a preference for
French oak, the Cabernet has always included 2-3% American oak.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1386182537470-IsoleVineyard+-+vinous.jpg"> Steep
hillside vineyards at Isole e Olena

The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi is magnificent.
Violets, smoke, plums and cassis jump from the glass in a stunning wine. All I
can say is the 2010 is incredible. Just bottled one month ago, the 2010 shows
no hard edges, incredibly expressive aromatics and beautifully delineated
fruit. The 2010 isn’t a huge wine, but rather one built on exceptional finesse
and elegance. &nbsp;It is one of the great
wines of what has turned out to be a great Tuscan vintage. 98/Drinking window: 2017-2030. At the beginning of what promises to
be a long drinking window, the 2008 Cabernet
Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi is
stunning. Savory herbs, tar, licorice, cassis, graphite and melted road tar
seduce the intellectual and hedonistic senses in a wine that has everything. A
vibrant, powerful, structured wine underpinned by intense saline notes, the
2008 possesses remarkable finesse and fabulous overall balance. This is another
fabulous wine from Paolo De Marchi. 97+/Drinking
window: 2016-2038.

Isole e Olena’s 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi boasts rapturous depth.
A pure, rich wine very much in the style of the year, the 2007 wraps around the
palate and never lets up. The 2007 is one of the more open, accessible wines in
this vertical, even if the aromas and flavors remain very much primary. Dark
raspberries, flowers, mint, licorice and spices all flesh out on the radiant,
inviting finish. 97/Drinking window:
2017-2037. In a vintage that produced generally big, powerful wines, the estate’s
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione De
Marchi is a model of total finesse. Dark cherries, plums, cloves, menthol
and melted road tar all take shape in the glass. Today, the aromas are just
beginning to show tertiary notes in a wine that should continue to drink well
to age 25, perhaps beyond. The 2006 very much reflects the late harvest that
year, especially in the ripeness of the fruit. 95/Drinking window: 2014-2031.

The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione
De Marchi is in a beautiful spot right now. Tobacco, smoke, savory herbs
and dark red berries emerge from a wine that is both powerful and deeply Tuscan
in personality. The weight and structure are those of Cabernet Sauvignon, but
the aromatic and flavor profile shows distinct Sangiovese overtones.
Interestingly, the 2004 is quite a bit more powerful than the 2006, but it
drinks well now. 95/Drinking window:
2014-2024. Another dazzling wine, the 2001
Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione De
Marchi is in a gorgeous place right now. Plum, tar, smoke and licorice
notes meld together in a super-ripe, racy Cabernet backed up with considerable
structure. Exotic white truffle, orange peel, smoke and cassis nuances linger
on the open, expressive finish. The 2001 is hugely appealing today and will
drink well for at least another decade. Paolo De Marchi describes 2011 as a
very cold year with a late harvest, which explains the wine’s notable ripeness.
95/Drinking window: 2013-2021.

A wine that has reached a plateau
of maturity, the 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon
is a terrific choice for drinking today and over the next 7-10 years. Smoke,
tobacco, licorice and white truffle notes add nuance to a core of expressive,
brambly red fruits. Fresher on the palate than in the bouquet, my sense is that
the aromatics will develop at a faster rate than the tannins soften, which is
why I suggest drinking the 2000 sooner rather than later. This is an
exceptional showing for a 13 year-old wine from a year marked by huge heat
spikes at the end of August. 90/Drinking
window: 2013-2018. A jewel of a wine, the 1999
Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione De
Marchi has aged impeccably. Dark cherry, plum, cassis, smoke, melted road
tar and licorice are all woven together in a wine of extraordinary grace and
elegance. The 1999 is still a baby. How much longer will it drink this well? I
am not sure, but I do know readers who own the 1999 are going to be thrilled.
This is one of the all-time great Cabernets from Isole e Olena, that much is
obvious. 97/Drinking window: 2013-2024.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1386182497092-IsoleGalestro+-+vinous.jpg"> Galestro,
the most common soil type in Chianti Classico

The 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione
De Marchi is another fabulous wine. It, too, boasts, extraordinary purity
and primary beauty. At the same time, the tannins remain a bit angular, which
is surprising for a wine of this age. If opened today, the 1998 needs a good
bit of air. At this stage, I am not sure further bottle age will make a
material difference. Still, the 1998 is superb. 94+/Drinking window: 2013-2028. The 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi tasted from magnum, is
glorious. Dark cherry, blackberries, melted road tar and licorice are some of
the many notes that wrap around the palate in a dark, brooding wine endowed
with tons of structure. At the time, 1997 was considered a very warm vintage,
and it was, but those conditions are pretty much the norm these days. From
magnum, the 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon remains a baby. To be sure, the style is
ripe and flashy, but it all works. What a wine! 95/Drinking window: 2013-2022.

Isole e Olena’s 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi will appeal most
to readers who enjoy a slightly more slender style. The 1996 is pretty, but it
also remains slightly firm, in the style of the cool vintage. Ideally, the 1996,
with its slightly Piedmontese inflections, is best enjoyed at the dinner table.
Savory herbs, olives, smoke and licorice linger on the expressive, nuanced
finish. 95/Drinking window: 2014-2026.
The 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi could be mistaken
for a Pauillac in a blind tasting. Sweet tobacco, pencil shavings, leather, smoke
and dried red cherries all meld together in a gracious, medium-bodied wine
endowed with tremendous energy and class. At the early part of its maturity,
the 1995 will drink well for a number of years. Paolo De Marchi describes 1995
as a season with cold August, but perfect weather in September and October that
resulted in a very late harvest. 93/Drinking
window: 2013-2023.

The 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione
De Marchi is one of the few wines in this vertical that has reached its
full maturity. There is more than enough fruit and freshness for the wine to
drink well for another handful of years, but the thrill of the very finest
years is elusive. Sweet red cherries, dried flowers, tobacco and anise linger
on the finish. Overall, 1994 was a tough vintage with a number of challenges,
including the onset of botrytis. 88/Drinking
window: 2013-2018. At twenty years of age, the 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione
De Marchi impresses for its youth, power and virile personality. Huge,
imposing tannins support the fruit in a big, powerful wine. Dark red cherries,
flowers, sage, rosemary and licorice emerge over time. The 1993 is rich and
intense, yet remains a bit burly and rough around the edges. Hints of
Sangiovese linger on the finish. Warm weather caused and early flowering and
may have contributed to the wine’s slightly rustic character. 92/Drinking window: 2013-2023.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1386182457546-IsoleBottles+-+vinous.jpg"> An
unforgettable lineup 

Sweet tobacco, flowers, mint, anise
and dried cherries waft from the glass in the 1991 Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi. A pretty wine, the
1991 is one of the more medium-bodied wines in this range. Today, the 1991 is
fully mature and a bit fragile, but it also isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
Rose petals, game, tobacco and dried herb notes linger on the close. 90/Drinking window: 2013-2016. The 1989 Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione De Marchi is the product of a
very difficult year. At just 11.5% alcohol, the 1989 has aged as well or better
than could have reasonably been expected. At the same time, in this vertical,
the 1989 clearly suffers from a comparison with the surrounding vintages. There
is good up-front intensity in the fruit, but little in the way of true persistence
or depth. All things considered, the 1988 has retained plenty of color and
intensity. 88/Drinking window: 2013-2015.

Isole e Olena’s 1988 Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione De
Marchi, tasted from magnum, delivers all of the promise of one of all-time
great Tuscan vintages. Still fresh and vibrant, the 1988 is firing on all
cylinders today. The tannins have softened a touch, but the wine remains
marvelously intact and powerful. Another vintage with deep Sangiovese roots,
the 1988 is magnificent today. Sage, rosemary, menthol and tobacco notes are
layered onto a core of black fruit. The 1988 is a classic. It’s as simple as
that. 96/Drinking window: 2013-2023.
The 1986 Cabernet Sauvignon is
drop-dead gorgeous. Sweet rose petals, mint, licorice and red fruits waft from
the glass as the 1986 shows off its personality. Medium-bodied and impeccable
in its grace, the 1986 is pure sensuality in the glass. Today, the 1986 is one
of the more delicate vintages of this Tuscan thoroughbred. Sweet, silky tannins
frame the finish. I don’t imagine the 1986 is going to improve much from here,
but it is fabulous. 94/Drinking
window: 2013-2016.

De Marchi’s 1999 Chardonnay Collezione
De Marchi is an unexpected surprise. At fourteen years of age, the 1999 is
flat-out stunning. Honey, nectarine, orange blossoms and vanillin all flesh out
in a rich, voluptuous wine loaded with class and pure pedigree. De Marchi proves
he is equally adept with Chardonnay as he is with Sangiovese, Cabernet
Sauvignon and Syrah. Quite frankly, Isole e Olena’s Chardonnay shows better at
fourteen than many of the most heralded Chardonnays from Burgundy or
California. What a great way to end a truly unforgettable tasting at Isole e
Olena. 95/Drinking window: 2013-2019.

Cover:
The cellar at Isole e Olena. Note the exposed rock in the background.

-- Antonio Galloni

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