The Le Macchiole Winery
On my recent trip to Italy (described in detail on the Wine Travel page) I had the good fortune of having a wine tasting at the now renown Le Macchiole winery. I’ve loved their wines for going on 15 years, and had planned this visit before leaving the states. I made the reservation on their website, and paid the 100 euro fee on site before beginning the tasting and tour. The experience was well worth the cost of admission.
Founded in the early 1980s by Eugenio Campolmi and Cinzia Merli, the winery has grown in quality and reputation until it has now garnered the reputation as one of the finest producers of Super Tuscan wine in the world. Their most notable cuvées include three red wines that use only a single varietal. That means that, as opposed to blending different grapes to make a single wine, only one grape is used. These notable wines include the Scrio, made from 100 percent Syrah, the Messorio, made from 100 percent Merlot, and the Paleo Rosso, made from 100 percent Cabernet Franc. Each of these three wines each regularly receive scores of 95+ from experienced wine critics. Not widely found in the United States, these limited reds usually sell for somewhat north of $100 per bottle.
In addition to the “big three”, the winery produces a Bolgheri Rosso and its only white wine, the Palio Bianco, a blend of mostly Chardonnay with a touch of Sauvignon Blanc. The Bolgheri Rosso consists of a blend of all three of the aforementioned red grapes, plus some Cabernet Sauvignon. Macchiole produces far more of this than any of their other bottlings, and it predictably is much easier to find in the better wine shops here. It routinely sells for between $30-$45. While its a nice wine to drink, for me the extra expense of the “big three” is worth the extra cost.
Situated between the Tuscan hills and the nearby sea, and blessed with various soil types, including significant deposits of clay, and a climate very beneficial to wine making, the Bolgheri region has the perfect terroir for growing grapes very often associated with the Bordeaux region of France. A mild but sunny climate allows for slow, evening ripening of the grapes, which are normally harvested in early September. The “big three” are aged for over a year in a combination of new French oak and stoneware amphora. Actual bottling takes place some two years after the harvest. Macchiole takes pride in organic farming practices which prove conducive to sustainable farming. All grapes are harvested by hand.
The tour itself takes about 45 minutes before you reach the tasting room, and there you taste four of the Macchiole wines. My guide was knowledgeable and took me through the interior of the winey where the fermentation took place, and where the wine was stored; row upon row of oak barrels, all kept in a chilled and pristine environment. The immaculate tasting room had facilities for lots of tasters, and I felt pretty lonely being the only one tasting in such a large room. My tasting included the Paleo Rosso, the Scrio, the Bolgheri Rosso and the Paleo Bianco. I found them all wonderful. I have never seen the white for sale here in the States, but would consider buying it if I did. As with most wineries, sales prices for the wines offered no great deals, so I didn’t purchase anything.
I do have about a case worth of the “big three” at home, that I managed to find and buy back home, and would highly recommend them to people who truly love big red wines. I would recommend not drinking them for about 4-5 years after the vintage date.