2022 Isole e Olena Chardonnay Collezione Privata IGT, Tuscany

Super-restrained citrus profile with notes of bitter lemon peel and yellow grapefruit, both enhanced by delicate toastiness. The attack is polished, with a medium body, lifted integrated acidity, a zesty grip at the end and a mellow, hedonistic yet always tense texture. How improved this wine is compared to the past. Drink or hold.

95 points jamessuckling.com

The Isole e Olena 2022 Chardonnay Collezione Privata is full of spirit and character thanks to a vein of spice and cinnamon that folds into nectarine and poached pear. I love the unabashed intensity of this warm vintage. The acidity is present, and the bouquet is singing strong. That medley of ripe fruit and oak spice pushes over the medium to full-bodied mouthfeel and gives the wine long persistence. Drink: 2024 - 2035 Tasted 26/7/2024

95 points Monica Larner robertparker.com

Isole e Olena Chardonnay Collezione Privata IGT is one of Tuscany’s most refined and age-worthy white wines, offering a rare glimpse of what great Chardonnay can become in the hands of a master like Paolo De Marchi. Sourced from high-elevation vineyards in the hills of Barberino Val d’Elsa, this Chardonnay is grown on limestone-rich soils that bring structure, vibrancy and mineral tension to the wine.

First produced in the late 1980s, Collezione Privata was De Marchi’s answer to white Burgundy, reinterpreted through a Tuscan lens. Grapes are hand harvested and whole bunch pressed, then fermented and matured in French oak barriques, with around 30 to 50 percent new oak depending on the vintage. Lees stirring and partial malolactic fermentation add depth and a creamy, savoury texture without masking the wine’s clarity and precision.

On the nose, it opens with aromas of lemon curd, white peach, chamomile, almond meal and flinty minerality, followed by hints of toast, hazelnut and spice. The palate is elegant and powerful, with vibrant acidity wrapped around layers of citrus, ripe stone fruit, nougat and crushed rock. It finishes long, dry and mouthwatering, with impeccable balance.

Ideal with lobster tail in butter sauce, saffron risotto, roast chicken with tarragon, or mushroom and ricotta-stuffed pasta. It also pairs beautifully with aged Comté or a mild triple cream cheese. Drink now for freshness or cellar 8 to 12 years for a more evolved, nutty and complex profile.