Le Macchiole
Bolgheri Rosso 2021
Bolgheri Rosso DOC
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.
Bolgheri Rossi is also the youngest of Le Macchiole’s wines, first produced in 2004. The objective: to make a Bordeaux blend, but typical of Bolgheri.
VINEYARD
Bolgheri Rosso is sourced from four of the estate’s five vineyards: Puntone (1994), Vignone (1999), Casa Nuova (1998), I Sommi (2015). The 2021 vintage is 50% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah.
WINEMAKING
The wine is fermented for 15 days in stainless steel tanks and then aged for 10 months in a combination of oak and concrete (70% in second and third passage barrique and 30% in concrete).
VINTAGE
The year began with a rainy winter that saw higher than average temperatures, which brought about a slow start to pruning. Temperatures rose slightly in spring, causing rapid budding of both Chardonnay and Merlot, which in turn exposed those two varieties to a higher risk of frost damage at the beginning of April, when temperatures dropped to near freezing overnight for two consecutive nights. Thankfully, there was no evident damage as a result. Thanks to the water reserves accumulated during the winter rains, the rising temperatures during the second half of April brought about a rapid vegetative growth and constant development of the vine shoots, which continued through the entire month of May. The summer had a classic, positive start, with a slight delay of flowering, fruit set, and veraison due to the spring frost; the season ended with a very dry period that continued through all of harvest. Harvest began during the third week of August, as it had in previous years, and continued through the end of September, which saw rainfall during the final phases of the Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon harvest.
TASTING NOTE
Intense fresh fruity notes on the nose and a slimmer texture, with firm yet very gentle tannins and an acid backbone that brings an amazing balance to the wine.
Color
Red
Grape Varieties
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah
Appellation
Bolgheri Rosso DOC
Alcohol
12.5%
Suggested Retail Price
$43
Reviews
"The quality of the fruit is spot on"
Wine Advocate (93+) - June 2, 2023
"Dark berries with crushed walnuts"
James Suckling - July 6, 2023
"Tobacco and dried flowers"
Vinous - August 7, 2023
"Sleek and elegant"
Wine Spectator - October 13, 2023
Reviews
More on Le Macchiole Bolgheri Rosso 2021
Our 15 Best Wines of 2024, from a $20 Alvarinho to a Pricelist Port
June 26, 2023 - Food & Wine published Senior Wine Critic Ray Isle's 15 Best Wines of 2024, which includes Le Macchiole Bolgheri Rosso 2021! The article features standout bottles from a year of…
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.
Scrio
Toscana IGT
Scrio was born in 1994, out of Eugenio Campolmi's wish to produce a wine which would best express his vision of Syrah, his favorite grape variety. As all Le Macchiole wines, 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.
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.
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.
