2014 Isole E Olena Chianti 375ml

A blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Alicante and Syrah, this juicy wine opens with aromas of ripe plum, baking spice and a balsamic note. The concentrated palate doles out ripe black cherry, clove and licorice alongside fine-grained tannins. KERIN O’KEEFE, Wine Enthusiast Magazine

“This wine is known in our winery as “Il Mario”. It is the best quality possible of Schiopetto wines. In Gorizia, in 1954, the local Curia planted Friulano vines and some Riesling ones. It did so in the best side of the vineyard: the southern. A representative, superb wine that can only be produced in stainless steel tanks in the best vintages.”

Pale yellow tones with golden reflexes

Elegant and delicate nose at first glance with ripe fruit flavors then followed instead by sweet notes of almond and custard.

Elegant on the palate, yet warm and full-bodied, all is balanced by notes of fruit, pear and quince over all, with fresh and intense final. Good minerality.

The Sisters of the Monastero Suore Cistercensi live and work at their monastery in Vitorchiano, ninety minutes or so north of Rome in the Lazio district. Here at this quiet religious outpost eighty women of this religious order work vineyards and orchards and gardens organically. Under the guidance of Bea, they produce two wines as honest and sympathetic and gracious as they are.

The Coenobium: is the basic wine of the Monastery with an approximate annual production of 12000 bottles, about 80% of which is shipped through us to satisfy the US market. Its intrigue comes from the volcanic soils that underlay the vineyards and the longer than usual contact that the fermenting juice has with the skins … this being a vinification technique encouraged by Bea.

The exceptional Loreto “cru” of Barbaresco is the source for this most profound wine of the De Forville estate. As with the Barbaresco “Normale”, the juice is fermented in stainless steel and then racked into large oak “botti” for about two years of aging before being bottled. Vines are approximately 35 years of age (as of 2011). More full-bodied and dense than the “Normale”, the “Loreto” also has additional aging capacity.  – Neal Rosenthal, Importer

The Sisters of the Cistercian order at Monastero Suore Cistercensi live and work at their monastery in Vitorchiano, ninety minutes or so north of Rome in the Lazio district. Here at this quiet religious outpost eighty women of this religious order work vineyards and orchards and gardens organically. Under the guidance of Bea, they produce two wines as honest and sympathetic and gracious as they are.

The vineyards are planted to a series of four essentially local white grape varieties: Malvasia, Verdicchio, Grechetto and Trebbiano.

The Ruscum: is a blend of four grapes (Trebbiano, Malvasia, Verdicchio and Grechetto) and, in this instance, the juice is left to ferment on the lees for a period of two weeks or more, extracting all of the flavors, colors and textures of its fruit. The result is a wine of often deep golden color and penetrating minerality with hints of herbs, particularly anise, and wild flowers. There are approximately 4000 bottles produced annually of this cuvée, the overwhelming majority of which comes to the USA.