Winemaker Notes
Le Macchiole doesn't just produce great reds; in fact, Paleo's alter ego, Paleo Bianco, hit the scene in 1991. It is produced in extremely small quantities, made with Chardonnay and a bit of Sauvignon Blanc. Its strong Mediterranean character boasts equal parts intensity, flavor, and depth. This is a wine that surprises, especially in terms of its ability to age.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Precise, with herb and bell pepper accents to the black currant, black olive, iron and tobacco flavors. Shows underlying vanilla and spice elements from the discrete use of new oak, playing out on the long finish with harmony and finesse. Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2040.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
On the market now, the Le Macchiole 2020 Paleo Bianco is slightly less concentrated and textured compared to the upcoming 2021 vintage that I tasted at the same time. The 2020 vintage showed more heat in July, whereas the classic 2021 vintage resulted in more linear and slower ripening. This blend of mostly Chardonnay with Sauvignon Blanc is fragrant, rounded and open-knit with exotic fruits, crisp pineapple, sweet almond and crushed stone. The vineyards are located adjacent to the estate at about 80 meters above sea level.
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James Suckling
Interesting array of straw, smoked almond, bay leaf, grilled pineapple, grapefruit pith and burnt lemon. Full-bodied with tangy acidity and a phenolic palate. Lightly bitter, smoky and citrusy elements.
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 white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. 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.
One of the most iconic Italian regions for wine, scenery and history, Tuscany is the world’s most important outpost for the Sangiovese grape. Tuscan wine ranges in style from fruity and simple to complex and age-worthy, Sangiovese makes up a significant percentage of plantings here, with the white Trebbiano Toscano coming in second.
Within Tuscany, many esteemed wines have their own respective sub-zones, including Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The climate is Mediterranean and the topography consists mostly of picturesque rolling hills, scattered with vineyards.
Sangiovese at its simplest produces straightforward pizza-friendly Tuscan wines with bright and juicy red fruit, but at its best it shows remarkable complexity and ageability. Top-quality Sangiovese-based wines can be expressive of a range of characteristics such as sour cherry, balsamic, dried herbs, leather, fresh earth, dried flowers, anise and tobacco. Brunello, an exceptionally bold Tuscan wine, expresses well the particularities of vintage variations and is thus popular among collectors. Chianti is associated with tangy and food-friendly dry wines at various price points. A more recent phenomenon as of the 1970s is the “Super Tuscan”—a red wine made from international grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, with or without Sangiovese. These are common in Tuscany’s coastal regions like Bolgheri, Val di Cornia, Carmignano and the island of Elba.