2016 Collezione Privata, Cabernet Sauvignon, Isole e Olena, Tuscany, Italy

Yum. A solid, polished cabernet with blackcurrant, cedar and light walnut aromas and flavors that follow through to a medium to full body and fine, polished tannins that are driven and racy. Tight, refined texture to this. Really poised and crafted.

Better after 2023

Production is 10,000 bottles and 240 magnums.

The Isole e Olena 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione Privata opens nicely to show rich but balanced concentration and generous aromas of dark fruit, plum, exotic spice and fragrant cedar wood. I tasted the wine at two intervals in time, once when the bottle was first opened and a second time the following day from the same bottle. The wine opens generously, showing a fluid and steady evolution of aromas that starts with some tart fruit and forest floor, later to develop into the softer and sensuous flavors I have described above. The tannins are delicately woven into the greater fiber of the wine to offer support without any sharpness. The entire drinking experience is seamless and smooth.

Drink 2021 - 2040

The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is among the finest Cabernet Sauvignons in Italy. High altitude sites in Barberino yield a distinctly mid-weight, elegant, savory Cabernet that is all about reserve. Dark plum, espresso, licorice, menthol and sage start to emerge with a bit of air, but the 2016 is a wine that demands cellaring. Over the years, I have had the good fortune to taste every vintage of the Isole e Olena Cabernet. It is one of the great under the radar wines of Tuscany. The 2016 takes its place with the very finest editions.

Drink 2024 - 2041

2016 was a great vintage for Chianti, and clearly suited Cabernet Sauvignon too. This has sufficient structure to benefit from its two years of ageing in 40% new oak. The firm blackberry-scented nose is still reserved but shows a light toastiness. Rich and fleshy, the palate is more open and opulent, with good underlying acidity and restrained tannins giving some grip and structure. The finish is spicy, complex and long.

Drink to 2035