Le Macchiole
Scrio 2015
Bolgheri DOC
Scrio was first produced in 1994. Le Macchiole founder Eugenio Campolmi created it because he wanted to produce a wine that would best express his vision of Syrah, his favorite grape variety. Scrio has an original personality and stands apart from Syrah grown in France or anywhere else – it is an extraordinarily compelling meld of deep and velvety Mediterranean fruit with cool climate aromatics and detail. Given the extremely limited production, Scrio is decidedly a hidden gem.
“Scrio” is a Tuscan word that translates to pure, genuine, and honest. It is usually used to refer to people who are pure of heart.
VINEYARD
Scrio is sourced from two vineyards, Puntone and Madonnina, and has extremely restricted yields due to low vigor plants and green harvesting.
WINEMAKING
Following a 20-day maceration in stainless steel, Scrio matures for 12 months in oak barrels (75% new, 25% second passage). It is then further aged for 21 months in bottle before release. Approximately 5,000 bottles are produced each vintage.
VINTAGE
The 2015 vintage can be described as the most classic expression of the Bolgheri style, a wine of great character and complexity. After a difficult 2014, the steady weather conditions in 2015 led to a long ripening season, without over acceleration of the ripening process.
Winter was mild with average rainfall and Spring saw steady temperatures with significant nigh/day temperature fluctuations and good rainfall.
June saw high temperatures and no rain at all. July saw typical summer weather with night temperatures below average, steady breeze and lack of rainfall. August temperatures were steadier than usual with good rainfall, which led to a slow and constant ripening of the perfectly healthy grapes.
The season ended with an ideal September: temperatures, night/day temperature swings, sunlight, rainfall, everything was perfectly balanced to allow the grapes to reach the best ripeness condition.
TASTING NOTE
An opulent nose that shows plum cake, blueberry muffins, dark chocolate, mocha, coffee, plum liqueur and hot stones. However, there just the right amount of freshness with thyme, violets and cedar. Full body, very chewy tannins and a long, decadent finish. Very intense, but it still shows form and tension.
-James Suckling
Color
Red
Grape Varieties
Syrah
Appellation
Bolgheri DOC
Suggested Retail Price
$175.00
Reviews
Wine Advocate - May 17, 2019 "It's worth noting that the Scrio was not made in 2014, as Syrah did not reach the right maturity for the quality Le Macchiole looks for. The 2015 growing season wasn't much easier, with 15 days of extreme heat in July. August brought cooler weather, and so they tried to slow down the ripening process by doing very little green harvest. This vintage is marked by more pepper than fruit, but it's still a beautiful effort, and I see a lot of potential for aging this wine. The 2015 Scrio is made with a more reductive approach overall, and this vintage needs a year or two to open fully. Only 3,000 bottles were made."
James Suckling - January 7, 2019 “A stunning syrah; the real McCoy for the variety. The depth of aroma takes your breath away with bark, tea leaves, peppermint, dried rosemary, thyme, sage, pressed violets, cedar, creme de cassis, blackcurrants and lavender. The palate is incredibly tight and yet, profound in its delivery of flavors. Full body, layer upon layer of fruit of every color on the spectrum, pinpoint acidity and a finish that seems endless.”
Reviews
Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
Paleo Bianco
Bolgheri
First produced in 1991, Paleo Bianco is a silky, mineral-driven blend of Chardonnay (90%) and Sauvignon Blanc (10%). Perfect for pairing with seafood, this white is well suited to a medium to long aging in bottle.
Bolgheri Rosso
Bolgheri
Bolgheri Rosso is a refined, irresistible blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah, serving as an introduction to the estate. The wine is, frankly, almost too good at the price. All the intensive artisanal work that Le Macchiole carries out in its vineyards and cellars benefits this wine, and despite more availability than its Paleo Rosso, Messorio and Scrio siblings, it sells out nearly as quickly.
Messorio
Toscana IGT
Messorio, a Merlot monovarietal, is the winery’s crown jewel. Its initial vintage was 1994, and since then it has received extraordinary acclaim, including a 100-point score from the Wine Spectator for the 2004 vintage. The name Messorio refers to the ancient Tuscan practice of wheat harvesting, the most important time of the year in the Bolgheri countryside - once it referred to wheat; these days, it is all about grape harvesting.
Paleo Rosso
Toscana IGT
Paleo Rosso has been called Italy's landmark expression of Cabernet Franc. This grape variety is growing internationally as a distinct bottling, but Bolgheri has proven to be the single best place in the world to do so. The Mediterranean climate and surroundings result in a wine of extraordinarily expressive, sensual, and textural fruits and savory spices.