Le Macchiole - Messorio2011
RED WINE
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Producer
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Country
Italy
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Region
Tuscany
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UPC
N/A
Reviews
James Suckling 95
Amazing aromas of sexy, decadent fruit with blackberry, dark chocolate and cedar. Full body with fine tannins and a long, long finish.
by JS, James Suckling , 2014
Robert Parker 94+
Cinzia Merli tells me that this vintage was not as hot as initially portrayed. In fact, she says harvest came earlier in 2012 following the summer heat (compared to 2011). The 2011 Messorio is the result of a slightly later growing season that was extended thanks to some cooling rains in June and July. This is a smooth and balanced wine that does not show any of the jammy or overtly sweet notes you get with Merlot in parts of central Tuscany. The bouquet is redolent of cherry, leather, tobacco and plum. There are lingering mineral notes that add definition and focus. Again, this wine shows an excellent quality of tannins with long-lasting softness, silkiness and textural finesse.
by ML, Robert Parker , 2016
Vinous Media 96
The 2011 Messorio takes hold of all the senses and never lets up. Rich and explosive to the core, the 2011 boasts stunning intensity and depth. Today, the 2011 is painfully young and packed with tannin. Even with all of its size, the 2011 retains gorgeous aromatic complexity and tons of nuance. This is a fabulous showing from Le Macchiole.
by AG, Vinous Media , 2014
Wine Spirits 94
A bright menthol note buoys this merlot's lush dark fruit, revealing layers of licorice, herbs and dark chocolate. Silky tannins give shape and dimension without impeding the rich flavors. Beautiful now for its vivacity, length and purity, this will be even more expressive in four to five year's time.
by , Wine Spirits , 2015
Wine Spectator 94
Rich, ripe and dense, sporting black cherry and leather flavors and hints of tar and tobacco leaf. Powerful and well-structured, with a long, tobacco- and mineral-inflected finish. Merlot. Drink now through 2024.
by BS, Wine Spectator , 2015
Technical Details
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.
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.
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.