A living legend, Le Macchiole is today recognized as one of Tuscany’s finest wine estates. Indeed, Le Macchiole is lauded as much for its wines’ consistency and quality as it is for opening doors and increasing the sex appeal of the once little-known Bolgheri region.
It began with a dream of one extraordinary couple – Eugenio Campolmi and his wife, Cinzia Merli. Living a comfortable life running Eugenio’s parents’ retail business, they longed to make wine in Tuscany and explored the region to discover the perfect site for their ambitions. In 1983, Eugenio and Cinzia came across a special piece of land in the then largely unheard-of Bolgheri region, just 5 miles from the coast. It was love at first sight – they planted several hectares of international varieties and produced their first vintage in 1987. Released in 1989, the inaugural Paleo Rosso received universal critical acclaim, validating the couple’s pioneering strategy of making varietal wines on the Bolgheri coastline. Critics praised the power, elegance, and remarkable concentration inherent to their wines, which have only improved since the initial releases.
Sadly, Eugenio died in 2002, leaving his widow Cinzia and her brother Massimo to continue his pioneering work and forge a legacy worthy of the family name. Understanding and enhancing their unique terroir has been the overriding aim, with a painstaking amount of work going into vineyard management and matching a particular variety of vine to a special place.
But, as anyone who has sampled these delicious wines will testify, the rewards have more than justified the team’s hard work. Today, Le Macchiole continues to make some of the region’s most outstanding wines, characterized by their balance, finesse, and intense aroma and complexity. Accessible on release, the wines will age gracefully for many years – just one of the many reasons why Cellar Tours has fallen madly in love with Le Macchiole and highly recommends the winery.
1983
27 hectares
30 years+ Low yields
160,000 bottles per annum, depending on the vintage
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