Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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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.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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.
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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.
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Wine Spectator
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.
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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.
Long before it was fashionable, Eugenio Campolmi saw the potential of his homeland, buying his first vineyard in Bolgheri in 1975 baptised "Le Macchiole". In 1987, he hired famed oenologist Vittorio Fiore as a consultant before the later was joined by Luca d'Attoma for years later. In contrast to his renowned neighbors who focused on Bordeaux blends, Campolmi focused on achieving the purest expression of individual varieties, crafting distinct wines of unprecedented quality. Soon Le Macchiole joined Sassicaia, Ornellaia, and Guado al Tasso as one of the most prestigious estates in Bolgheri. Following Eugenio's death in 2002, his wife Cinzia Merli, who shares her husband's passion, took over at the estate. Working with Luca D'Attoma, she has carried on her husband's legacy by continuing to make great Tuscan wines.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
An outstanding wine region made famous by Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who planted Cabernet Sauvignon vines for his own consumption in 1940s on his San Guido estate, and called the resulting wine, Sassicaia. Today the region’s Tuscan reds are based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which can be made as single varietal wines or blends. The local Sangiovese can make up no more than 50% of the blends. Today Sassicaia has its own DOC designation within the Bogheri DOC appellation.