2005 Messorio

Le Macchiole's 2005 showed pretty much as they did when they were first released a few years ago. Overall, this is an intermediate vintage for the estate, something that is only reinforced by how much work proprietor Cinzia Merli has done to raise quality since these wines were made. The more time passes, the more I am convinced Paleo Rosso is Le Macchiole's signature wine. Messorio and Scrio are both lower production wines that made an impact when Cinzia Merli and Eugenio Campolmi were getting started and thus achieved a higher positioning in price. The Paleo Rosso took longer to find its identity. Today, this 100% Cabernet Franc is arguably the most exciting wine in the range, yet it is priced below the dual 'flagships.'

Le Macchiole's Merlot Messorio is one of Tuscany's most sought-after wines. And with good reason. Over the years Messorio has built an extraordinary track record. This incredible tasting with proprietor Cinzia Merli spanned every vintage of Messorio back to the inaugural 1994. I was completely blown away by how well the wines showed. In most vintages Messorio is expressive even when it is young, yet it also has demonstrated the ability to develop spectacularly well in bottle in a distinctly personal, intimate expression of Merlot from Bolgheri. Frankly, after tasting the 1994 and 1995 I found it virtually impossible to move on to the more recent vintages. Not that there was anything wrong with them. Far from it. It's just that those older wines were at absolutely glorious peaks of expression, while every wine that followed was more about potential.

Eugenio and Cinzia Campolmi bought Le Macchiole in 1982. The land belonged to a family that had acquired it through a sharecropping arrangement with the Antinoris, a common practice at the time. The first vineyards were planted in 1983 and the first wines were produced in 1987. In the early years Le Macchiole made far simpler wines in the style that was the norm for the era. There were two whites, two reds and one rosé. In 1989 the Merlis began working with oenologist Vittorio Fiore. Their aim was to make more ambitious Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines modeled after the big three of Maremma: Grattamacco, Sassicaia and Ornellaia. Oenologist Luca d'Attoma arrived in 1991. Le Macchiole began to turn its attention the single-variety wines and micro-vinifications that form the core of the estate's approach to this day. D'Attoma planted new vineyards and experimented with different rootstocks in 1991 and 1993, followed by his first trials with higher plant densities in 1998. Sadly, Eugenio Campolmi passed away in 2002 at 40, far too young to see just how beautifully Le Macchiole's early wines have blossomed. Those wines are more than a fitting tribute to his vision, passion and, ultimately, his legacy.

Messorio, a 100% Merlot, remains Le Macchiole's signature wine. The first vintage of Messorio was 1994. The estate made just two barriques (600 bottles) of the 1994 and 1995, wines that are breathtaking today. In 1997 production doubled to a whopping four barriques. In subsequent years production has gradually increased to about 10,000 bottles from 7.5 hectares of Merlot. Additional vineyards were planted during the late 1990s and 2001. Messorio is aged in 100% new French oak. In 1998 Le Macchiole began experimenting with the 122-liter ½ barrique, an approach they used until 2007, when the standard 255-liter barrique was reintroduced.

Le Macchiole releases its wines later than most estates on the Tuscan coast, so readers will find the 2004s in the market, while the 2005s are due to arrive this Fall. Proprietor Cinzia Merli and long-time oenologist Luca D'Attoma have turned out a glorious set of 2004s. The 2005 vintage proved to be much more challenging as the damp, fresh growing season made it hard to achieve full ripeness. These are pretty wines, but they aren't quite at the level of the estate's finest efforts.