2018 Le Macchiole, Paleo Rosso, Toscana IGT, Italy ($137)

100% Cabernet Franc

Paleo Rosso has been called Italy’s landmark expression of Cabernet Franc. Widely considered one of the greatest Cabernet Francs ever made. First produced in 1989, this incredible wine is the symbol of the winery, and it truly epitomizes Bolgheri. At first, the wine was a classic Bordeaux blend but became a Cabernet Franc monovarietal in 2001; since then, it has been a huge success. It is argued that this wine changed Italian wine because it was the first to fully embrace the potential of Cabernet Franc. And since, Bolgheri has proven to be the single best place in the world to produce such opulent wines from Cabernet Franc. Drinking Window: 2021 - 2040

Critical Acclaim

97 points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The Le Macchiole 2018 Paleo has a spicy and tangy personality with dark fruit, bitter chocolate and tarry smoke. Coming back to my open bottle 24 hours later, I got some green olive and rosemary essence. The mouthfeel fleshes out considerably, and there is beautiful structure to hold it firmly together. Other vintners in Bolgheri have told me of their difficulties with Cabernet Franc in the 2018 vintage, which saw rain toward the end of the season. This wine feels magically immune to those issues and probably means that the expert vineyard team harvested at the right moment.

2018 Le Macchiole, Scrio, Toscana IGT, Italy ($223)

100% Syrah

This deep, spicy red was first produced in 1994, and the inspiration for its creation was the desire to produce a 100% Syrah, one of Le Macchiole’s favorite grapes. Ours too! This wine is very rare and original and produced in very small quantities. Scrio quickly became a benchmark in Bolgheri. The name of the wine, inspired by a Tuscan expression that means “pure, candid, whole,” perfectly describes its defining characteristics. Drinking Window: 2022- 2040.

Critical Acclaim

98 points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2018 Scrio is a pure expression of Syrah and one of the wines that broke the mold on this grape grown in coastal Tuscany (I would put the Syrahs from Tua Rita and Duemani in the same category). This is such a delicious wine, and you want to bite into it, sip after sip, as if it were food. There is sweetness here, ample spice, tons of dark fruit and a long, luscious finish. I came back to the open bottle a day later and discovered Christmas spice and savory leather. This Tuscan Syrah shies away from the more prominent white pepper or smoked bacon aromas that you sometimes get from this grape, especially in New World expressions. I'm all about Le Macchiole's Syrah.

2018 Le Macchiole, Messorio, Toscana IGT, Italy ($260)

100% Merlot

The crown jewel of the winery. It is soft and rich with impressive depth and intensity. Cinzia has said that the 2018 Messorio is one of her best of the last few years. It is still in very youthful stages and will benefit for several more years of cellar age. First produced in 1994, Messorio started as a personal challenge with one of the most planted varieties not only in Bolgheri, but across the Tuscan coast and throughout the world: Merlot. From the start, the idea was to take the best bunches and transform them into an impactful wine with a big personality, staying as far away as possible from the more soft, predictable style that is often associated with Merlot and instead making a thoroughbred eager to win the race. The name “Messorio” refers to the wheat harvest, one of the most fundamental parts of the agricultural cycle in Bolgheri. These days, however, it is all about grape harvesting at Le Macchiole. Drinking Window: 2025- 2040.

Critical Acclaim

98 points - James Suckling

Lots of flowers, blueberries, and orange peel. The palate is really long and extended, with ultra-fine tannins that run the length of the wine. Medium to full body. Wonderful finish. It needs five to six years to open, but what a joy to taste now.

97 points - Wine Spectator

This wine's main themes are plum, blackberry, and black cherry flavors, with perfumed aromas and earth, iron, tobacco, and dried herb accents. Dense, firm, and dry on the finish, where a green, herbal element echoes. This is underlined by a beam of acidity from beginning to end.

PLEASE NOTE

• Purchasers must be 21 years of age or older and be present with an ID upon delivery.

• Price includes 5.50% Maine State sales tax and Maine’s fifteen-cents redemption deposit per bottle.

• If your billing address is different from your delivery address, please include your delivery address in the comments section at checkout.

• *Delivery is by Wine Wise—not third-party carriers. Our delivery area is Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland Foreside, Falmouth, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Saco, Scarborough, South Portland, and Westbrook. We have a larger delivery area for Wine Club deliveries.