Le Macchiole - Messorio 2011
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Item# 83177A-11/3PK
James Suckling
95pt
Robert Parker
94+pt
Vinous Media
96pt
Wine Spirits
94pt
Wine Spectator
94pt
Estate
Founded in 1983 by Cinzia Merli and her late husband Eugenio Campolmi, Le Macchiole is situated in
the Bolgheri DOC area, on the Tuscan coast. Le Macchiole has 54 acres of vineyards and is known for
crafting single variety wines made from 100% Cabernet Franc, 100% Merlot and 100% Syrah. Le
Macchiole is notable for being the first winery in the region to produce a mono-variety Cabernet
Franc wine, and the first to adopt high density planting. Cinzia manages the winery and estate with
her brother Massimo Merli, winemaker Luca Rettondini and with her son Elia working alongside them.
Luca d'Attoma, a renowed consulting enologist, was hired in 1991.
Wine
Messorio, a Merlot monovarietal, is the winery's flagship wine. Its initial vintage was 1994, and since then it has received much critical acclaim, including a 100-point score from the Wine Spectator for the 2004 vintage. Yields are managed tightly through the use of low vigor rootstocks and drastic thinning of clusters. The result is a complex wine with austerity, virility and elegant structure. Tannin and fruit are in perfect harmony in 2011, and despite its early strong personality, it is very enjoyable even young.
Vineyard
Messorio is grown on two different parcels (Puntone and Vignone), from notably restricted yields (800 grams per plant).
Vinification
Messorio sees a 20-day maceration period in wood and steel tanks. Aging lasts for 18 months in oak barriques with 75% in new and 25% second passage. It was bottled in April of 2012, and aged 21 months in bottle before release.
Vintage
2011 was a warm vintage with great day and night temperature swings and light rains, which brought some relief to the plants - a welcome contribution to a demanding but very successful harvest season. The considerable care put into regulating the fruit on each plant allowed the winery to harvest grapes absolutely healthy and balanced in ripeness. As the first merlot arrived, the potential of the vintage was immediately understood; the clusters were of medium size with small berries and a great relationship between skin and pulp. They also showed great acidity, and a more restrained concentration of sugar than usual.
