The 2021 Isole e Olena Chardonnay Collezione Privata is a serious 100% Chardonnay from the high hills of Chianti Classico in Tuscany, and one of Italy's most distinctive interpretations of the variety. Paolo De Marchi began experimenting with Chardonnay at Isole e Olena in the early 1980s before establishing a dedicated vineyard in 1987, selecting material from the estate's best-performing vines. The combination of altitude, cool nights and limestone-rich soils gives the wine an unusual balance of Tuscan ripeness and mineral freshness. Production remains relatively small at around 25,000 bottles per year, making Collezione Privata very different from the large-volume international-variety wines sometimes associated with Tuscany.
