2021 Le Macchiole, Paleo
119,00 €
158,67 € / Liter
Wein aus Italien
Abfüller: Le Macchiole, Strada Provinciale 16B Bolgherese, 189/A, 57022 Castagneto Carducci (LI), Italien
132993Vorhandener Alkohol: 14% vol
Enthält Sulfite
6 vorrätig
Monica Larner, RobertParker.com 97/100
2021 Le Macchiole, Paleo
Release Price: $160, Drink Date: 2025 - 2048
In many ways, this bottle best represents the modern face of Bolgheri. I am referring to the chapter that starts after the international success of the so-called "aia" wines (Sassicaia and Ornellaia). In this new world, Coastal Tuscany faces new important challenges linked to climate change and competition from other celebrated Tuscan wine appellations. Debuted in 1989, what sets it apart is the choice of grape: Cabernet Franc. Paleo was a lone ranger back then, but today the percentage of new Cabernet Franc vineyards in the region is taking off at breakneck speed. But Le Macchiole was the first to work with it at this quality level. The 2021 Paleo is especially tight, intense and direct. These are characteristics of the vintage and of the house style. I tasted this vintage from barrel two years ago, and my remark was that the wine focuses on red and purple fruits as well as the black ones. This remains true now that the wine is in bottle. Those fruit tones cede to a floral interlude of heritage rose that leads to mulled spice and Turkish coffee. The 2021 vintage is slightly curbed or streamlined in terms of mouthfeel, holding back just a bit for extra tension and extremely elegant results.
Vinous, Antonio Galloni 97+/100
2021 Le Macchiole, Paleo
The 2021 Paleo Rosso (Cabernet Franc) soars out of the glass with high-toned Franc aromatics. Crushed red-toned fruit, blood orange, espresso, mocha, licorice and exotic spice infuse the palate with a notable textural intensity that builds over time. Paleo Rosso typically needs a few years in bottle to blossom. I expect that will be the case here as well. It’s an impressive wine from Le Macchiole. Aging was 16 months, mostly in low-toast French oak barrels, with a touch (4%) of stoneware amphora.
This is a stellar set of 2021s from Le Macchiole. What impressed me most this year is how distinctive the three main reds are. In recent years, proprietor Cinzia Merli and her team have introduced numerous refinements in farming, winemaking and élevage that give the wines a bit more nuance and overall freshness than in the past.
One of the keys to the 2021 growing season at Le Macchiole is a healthy amount of rain that fell over the winter months. There were some frost issues in April, but mostly cold weather served to delay fruit set and flowering, pushing timing back to more ‘normal’ parameters that are less common these days. The central part of summer was quite warm, which may explain the intense concentration found in some of the 2021s, most notably Paleo Rosso. Harvest began in late August for the whites and the Merlot for the Bolgheri Rosso, followed by the Merlot for Messorio and then the Syrah. Rain at the end of September pushed the Cabernet Franc harvest back a touch. Overall, the wines are deep and quite intense. I expect they will be even better with more time in bottle.
