2016 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico Gran Selezione

97 POINTS

Monica Larner - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

This is a beautiful wine that is only made in the best vintages. In fact, I have only ever tasted 2006 (a late release), 2010 and 2013 before this bottle. The Isole e Olena 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is 90% Sangiovese enhanced with tiny percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Production is limited to a mere 3,000 bottles that will not be released commercially until spring 2022. The wine is enormously bright and buoyant in this classic vintage with lingering fruit and cherry that remains intact and fresh even when tasted now some five years after the harvest. Hints of leather, tar and potting soil softly fill in the rear. This wine promises a long and healthy aging future ahead.

97 POINTS

Falstaff

Rich, deep dark ruby, with a slight purple hue. Cinnamon, blackberry and dark cherry, a very inviting nose. Substantial and expressive, lots of grippy tannins, deep, powerful and juicy, still has a long life ahead.Reviewers: Othmar Kiem, Simon Staffler

97 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is stunning. That's hardly a surprise as Paolo De Marchi has a track record of making compelling Gran Seleziones in his own unique style. A brilliant, focused wine, the 2016 bristles with energy from start to finish. It is the rare wine that offers superb evolution in the glass as it opens over time. The blend is 90% Sangiovese plus dollops of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah.

94 POINTS

James Suckling

Notes of chocolate and dried cherries with spices, dried sage and potpourri. Lots of new wood. Full and velvety on the palate with plush red fruit framed with vivid acidity. Firm and lingering. Racy at the end. Better in two or three years. Try after 2025.