2020 Le Macchiole Rosso

The nose of the 2020 Bolgheri Rosso is ripe with fresh red plum, red apple, and cedar, and the wine is medium to full bodied, with silky, fine tannins and fresh, dusty earth. It offers freshness in its crunchy acidity and long finish, and it is floral with notes of crushed rose petal and refreshing berries. This great value is drinking well right now. Drink 2023-2028. One of the benchmark wineries of Bolgheri, Eugenio Campolmi and Cinzia Merli purchased the estate in 1983 and planted their first four hectares of vines. Today, Cinzia Merli is joined by her two sons, Elia and Mattia, who work together to run the estate. Their holdings now consist of ten parcels, eight in Bolgheri and two in Bibbona, just to the north. In the vineyards, they practice organic farming while also implementing some biodynamic practices. Paleo Rosso’s first vintage was in 1989, before becoming exclusively dedicated to Cabernet Franc in 2001. Today, they make some of the most compelling ranges of single varietal wines. Messorio is dedicated to Merlot, Scrio to Syrah, and Paleo Rosso to Cabernet Franc.

The 2020 Bolgheri Rosso is an attractive, fruity wine to drink now and over the next handful of years, while the red berry fruit and floral notes remain vibrant. The Rosso is especially understated in 2020. (Originally Published in March 2022)

The Le Macchiole 2020 Bolgheri Rosso is 50% Merlot, 20% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a powerhouse wine that has become a steady little engine for the estate economy, growing from a production of 36,000 bottles to 140,000 bottles made annually today. This vintage does a terrific balancing act with dark fruit and concentration on the one hand and an accessible easy-drinking personality on the other. Black fruit cedes to baked brioche, spice and toasted aniseed. The wine finishes for 10 months in a combination of second, third and fourth-year barrique, and about 30% of the total goes into cement. The finish is polished and fresh, and you get good value.