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Le Macchiole - Bolgheri Rosso 2020
Le Macchiole Description
93 Points James Suckling
Grilled herbs, orange zest, black plums, cherries, peach stones and peppercorns on the nose. Medium-bodied with creamy tannins. It’s deliciously round and fruity, yet firm, with a long and polished finish. Merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and syrah. So drinkable already. Drink or hold.
93 Points Wine & Spirits
For their only blend of varieties (merlot, cabernets franc and sauvignon, and syrah), Merli’s team typically harvest the grapes a week earlier than for the single-variety reds. In 2020, the growing season saw even temperatures and little stress on the vines. A relatively brief (10- to 15-day) maceration extracted just enough tannins to frame the juicy plum and blackcurrant flavors. Aging is in concrete (30 percent) and in third-use oak barrels. The result is a wine with impeccable balance, its vibrant acidity warmed by notes of subtle spice and a meaty savor
91 Points Jeb Dunnuck
The nose of the 2020 Bolgheri Rosso is ripe with fresh red plum, red apple, and cedar, and the wine is medium to full bodied, with silky, fine tannins and fresh, dusty earth. It offers freshness in its crunchy acidity and long finish, and it is floral with notes of crushed rose petal and refreshing berries. This great value is drinking well right now.
Producers Notes
Bottled for the first time with the 2004 harvest, this wine is the purest and most direct expression of Bolgheri according to Le Macchiole. Red of grace and intensity, joyful and easy to drink, it does not give up matter and complexity.
50% Merlot, 20% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Wine Advocate: 93 Points
The Le Macchiole 2020 Bolgheri Rosso is 50% Merlot, 20% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a powerhouse wine that has become a steady little engine for the estate economy, growing from a production of 36,000 bottles to 140,000 bottles made annually today. This vintage does a terrific balancing act with dark fruit and concentration on the one hand and an accessible easy-drinking personality on the other. Black fruit cedes to baked brioche, spice and toasted aniseed. The wine finishes for 10 months in a combination of second, third and fourth-year barrique, and about 30% of the total goes into cement. The finish is polished and fresh, and you get good value.
Wine Spectator: 92 Points
Dense in texture, this red reveals plum and black cherry fruit, with grace notes of earth and black pepper that add depth. The finish offers well-integrated tannins. Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Drink now.
