A Note from Sergio
The town of Bolgheri is small. There's a handkerchief-sized square bordered by brooding trees, a ring of medieval-style stone buildings, a big and imposing archway, and that's about it. The size of Bolgheri itself seems a bit strange given the extended drumroll you get in the drive that leads up to it: a three-kilometer road that's straight as a pin and lined on both sides with majestic 150-year-old cypress trees planted in the mid-nineteenth century by a member of the Incisa Della Rocchetta family. Big overture, little town, and if Bolgheri weren't the center of the Super-Tuscan movement, you'd blink and miss it.
Only one of the major players in the Super-Tuscan movement was born in this tiny town: Eugenio Campolmi of Le Macchiole. Eugenio started the winery in 1983, using the experience he'd gained from working with the vines his father had grown to make the wine for his own restaurant. It was a leap of faith because there weren't that many people making a success of wine in Bolgheri--there was Sassicaia, of course, and Antinori and Grattamacco, but that was about it. Not many people were thinking about making wines on this flat, breezy Maremma plain just five kilometers from the sea--and certainly not growing international grapes like Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. Everything was to be discovered. History was to be written.
Le Macchiole struggled to find its identity until this native son realized that the best way to make his wine and his mark was to craft monovarietal expressions--to let the individual grape tell the story of the stony soil, the breeze from the sea, the Tuscan sun. And this is what Le Macchiole has done. The estate works maniacally in the vineyards to make wines whose singular voices speak eloquently of the relationship between the vine, the earth, and the local man who had a vision.
Sadly, Eugenio died about ten years ago, but his wife Cinzia carries on his work. This week I'm delighted to bring you a selection of Le Macchiole's wines from their recent release of the 2007 vintage. These may not be the traditional wines of Toscana, but then the Maremma was never traditionally understood as a place where you could make wine. It took vision and hard work to make that happen. Here's to the innovators, to small towns, and to local boys who made good.
My Best,
P.S. You can now follow me on Twitter: @Italian_Wine_SE.
Featured Wines
Le Macchiole
Messorio 2007, 750ml, $275
When a Merlot is good, it's very, very good, and when it's amazing it's Messorio. Elegant is only the beginning; the '07 Messorio has a lithe, charming personality. Showing intense refinement, delicacy and structure, this wine has the figure of an accomplished eighteenth-century Rinaschimento young lady. Lots of delicious red fruit balance with notes of coffee, pencil lead and chocolate. A stunningly pretty wine, it's drinking for the next two decades.
Le Macchiole
Scrio 2007, 750ml, $145
2007 saw a major change in Le Macchiole's approach to its Syrah bottling, Scrio. Wanting to highlight terroir, the estate used more super high-density plantings, decreased the use of new wood, and strove to make the already fabulous Scrio more polished and refined, however much it remains the Ducati riding bad boy underneath. The '07 Scrio brims with dark fruit, runs with spice and flirts with new leather and underbrush. It's a sensual delight with a lasting finish. Drinking for the next decade, probably longer.
Le Macchiole
Scrio 2005, 750ml, $175
The product of a chilly summer, the '05 Scrio still shows all of Syrah's seductive aromas, but they hang on a leaner frame and they're complemented by a silkier disposition. The minerality that's Le Macchiole's hallmark serves as a foundation for this wine's blueberry, mint and mocha notes. A perfect Scrio for wine lovers new to Bolgheri wines, this is drinking now to the end of the decade.
Le Macchiole
Paleo Rosso 2007, 750ml, $110
A monovarietal wine crafted from pure Cabernet Franc, Le Macchiole's Paleo Rosso is like spending time at a dinner party brimming with interesting conversation. Notes evolve and change, and you constantly find something new and provoking. The aromatic '07 Paleo is fresh, elegant and intriguing with a base of ripe, rich fruit that's layered with smoke, herbs, and a waft of tomato leaf. Sophisticated and drinking the next two decades.
Everyday Wine
Le Macchiole
Bolgheri Rosso 2007, 750ml, $32.99
The Bolgheri Rosso is Le Macchiole's calling card, a, pure and friendly expression of all three of the grapes they use for their monovarietal reds: Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc. The '07 has an architectural precision-the Merlot lays a foundation of ripe fruit; the Syrah gives a peppery dash; and the Cabernet Franc provides a leafy freshness. Drinking now.
Campo al Mare
Bolgheri 2007, 750ml, $26.40
This Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot offers wine drinkers all the power and finesse of a Bolgheri Super Tuscan at the price point of everyday wine. Dark and brooding fruit, an alluring nose of coffee and smoke, velvety tannins and a streak of minerality make the Campo al Mare a welcome dinner guest.
Cantine Sardus Pater
Is Solus 2007, 750ml, $24.78
For a half century, Sicilia's Cantine Sardus cooperative of producers have been crafting wines from indigenous grapes grown on remarkably old vines-many are eighty years old. A monovarietal expression of Carignano, Pater Is Solus is a round, rustic red whose opulent fruit glows in its setting of spice and flowers. A fabulous option for wine lovers new to southern reds, the Pater Is Solus is food-friendly and drinking now.
**Indicates pre-arrival.
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