Syrah 2018 (Isole e Olena)

Cellar for up to 15 years. Decant for 1 hour prior to serving Dense, aromatic, and intensely flavored, the Isole E Olena Syrah is a gorgeous wine. Beginning with a bouquet of expressive red and black berry fruit notes that jump out at you, this dark ruby colored wine has layers and layers of aroma and flavor. Tobacco, toast, Provencal herbs, leather, and bacon are just some of the notes you may find hidden in your glass. With a still densely fruity core after almost 10 years, this wine could continue aging for many more. Harkening to the Northern Rhone, this wine’s juicy but savory character would do best paired with meat dishes. Barbecued pork or beef, steak, game, or sausages all would complement the wines complex flavor and interplay with its savory components. The 4th generation winemaker at Isole E Olena, Paolo De Marchi, initially planted Syrah believing that it would be a good addition to his Chianti Classico, as the DOCG rules allowed up to 10% international varieties. He procured plants from the Rhone in France, and planted them in the mid-1980’s. However, after a few years, De Marchi realized that the Syrah in that climate could create something special: a single varietal, 100% Syrah, Tuscan red wine. He planted a new vineyard with more clones from France. After much critical acclaim, this wine is now one of the most sought-after Syrah’s from Italy, and proved that Italian Syrah could be just as good as that from anywhere in the world.