“Cinzia Merli’s introductory red is lush and lively in the 2016 vintage. Merlot plays the leading role in its fresh blueberry flavors and velvety texture, while smaller portions of cabernet sauvignon and franc firm up the structure and lend a touch of eucalyptus. It feels both playful and sophisticated, ready for a range of dishes.”

“The 2016 Paleo Bianco is mostly Chardonnay (90%) with a smaller element of Sauvignon Blanc (10%). This is a terrific white blend from the Tuscan coast that delivers loads of intensity, energy and impressive complexity. This is one of the most elaborate whites you can find in this beautiful part of Italy. The bouquet is redolent of stone fruit and honey. But the mouthfeel is more  interesting thanks to that playful hint of saffron or cinnamon that adds a touch of piquant spice on the close. This vintage shows great precision and focus.”

“Love the aromas to this wine with black olives, red chiles and violets. Full-bodied, very tannic and structured, yet polished and also in harmony. A rich, racy and wonderful young red. Pure  cabernet franc. Better in 2017.”

“Rich yet focused, with flavors of black currant, olive, tobacco and iron. Features a dense grain, yet all the components work together, with balance and light tannins on the fresh, coffee-tinged finish. Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2027.”

“A decadent syrah with loads of meat, dark fruits and hints of vanilla. Full-bodied, round and chewy yet leading to a long, long finish of fruit that turns to black pepper. Drink or hold.”

“Wow. This is the best syrah in Tuscany this year with incredible depth and beauty. The texture is so plush yet polished and caressing. Full body. The finish of chocolate, hazelnut, smoked meat, and fruit lasts for minutes. Drink or hold. Pure syrah.”

“A little lean for Messorio but plenty of tobacco, cedar and berry character. Medium body, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Needs two or three years to come together.”

In Decanter’s recent publication, Chris Mercer writes of Bordeaux red blends around the world. Traditionally a Bordeaux red blend combines two or more of the classic Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Carmenere, and Malbec. While the existence of Bordeaux blends, even as a term in itself, underlines the maritime French region’s enduring position as a benchmark for fine wines, it also says something about the versatility of the grapes themselves. In highlighting some of the finest Bordeaux red blends from around the world, Decanter includes Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany 2015, Erràzuriz Viñedo Chadwick, Puento Alto 2015, and Le Macchiole Paleo Rosso, Bolgheri Superiore 2001.

To learn more about Bordeaux blends around the word and these wines, read the full article HERE.

Wine Spectator features Ornellaia, Masseto, Petrolo and Le Macchiole in senior editor Bruce Sanderson’s latest Tuscan vintage report. The blistering heat, severe storms, frost and drought of the 2017 vintage in Tuscany were clearly harsh conditions; director of Ornellaia and Masseto, Axel Heniz, described it as “a winemakers vintage, if you got it wrong, it’s going to show.”

Heniz details that, “It was necessary to achieve ripe tannins, which meant not picking too early. Many had finished the harvest in Bolgheri by mid-September, but the second half of the month was cooler.” Heinz and his team finished picking at the end of September. “It was a vintage you had to read properly,” he adds. “You couldn’t make any mistakes, because it was not a forgiving vintage.”

For the white wines, Sanderson gives high claim to Petrolo’s Toscana White Bòggina B 2017, which “ups the ante, offering opulent peach, melon, lemon and wild herb flavors wrapped in a cloak of vanilla-accented oak.” Similarly Ornellaia’s rare Toscana White 2017 “is the most expensive white in this report, but also one of the best, with complex peach, passion fruit and elderflower aromas and flavors ending in a saline note.”

To learn more about the 2017 vintage and these estates, read the full article HERE.

Grapefriend’s latest newsletter urges readers to open and enjoy great bottles of wine right now, including Le Macchiole Bolgheri Rosso, because “a rough year just means you need to find smaller moments of happiness.”

We couldn’t agree more with writer Alyssa Vitrano’s POV that we all deserve to celebrate and treat ourselves wherever and however we can these days. As wine is an easy way to do that, she’s offered recommendations for Valentine’s Day, the Superbowl, or simply making it through Friday.

As far as your latest TV binge? If Tehran or Losing Alice are on the agenda, Vitrano says both shows “are dark and intense — a computer hacker on a failed mission gets stuck in Tehran, and a damaged director gets sucked into shooting a dark noir. You’ll need this complex Le Macchiole Bolgheri Rosso (a Tuscan blend of Merlot 40%, Cabernet Franc 20%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, Syrah 20%) to ease the tension.”