2019 Isole e Olena Syrah Collezione Privata IGT, Tuscany

A big, powerful syrah with a heady nose of violet essence, dried blueberries, sweet tobacco, mocha, vanilla, cracked pepper and grilled meat. Full-bodied with firm, ripe tannins and a chewy and fleshy palate. Delicious sweet-spice notes. Intense. Drink from 2023.

95 points jamessuckling.com

The Isole e Olena Syrah Collezione Privata IGT is one of Tuscany’s most compelling examples of Syrah, a wine that bridges the estate’s Chianti Classico roots with an international vision of refinement and elegance. Paolo De Marchi, who guided Isole e Olena to global acclaim, first planted Syrah here in the 1980s, inspired by the variety’s success in the Northern Rhône. Grown on the estate’s hillside vineyards in Barberino Val d’Elsa, the Syrah thrives in the region’s galestro and limestone soils, tempered by warm Tuscan days and cool nights that ensure both ripeness and aromatic complexity.

In the glass, the Collezione Privata Syrah is deep ruby with purple highlights. The bouquet is perfumed and layered, offering blackberry, blueberry and dark cherry lifted by violets, black pepper, spice and a touch of smoked meat. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with concentrated dark fruit supported by silky tannins and bright acidity. Savoury notes of olive, liquorice and graphite add depth, while careful oak ageing brings subtle cocoa and cedar. The finish is long, poised and elegant, a hallmark of De Marchi’s craftsmanship.

Food pairings highlight its savoury richness and complexity: bistecca alla Fiorentina, slow-braised lamb shanks, venison with juniper, or porcini mushroom ragù. Aged pecorino or blue cheeses also make excellent companions. With 12 to 15 years of cellaring potential, the wine evolves into a more complex and silky expression, gaining truffle, leather and dried herb notes while maintaining its fruit core.