Le Macchiole, experimentation,  innovation, research of the best

I was happy to receive an invitation to visit Le Macchiole, an estate I had not been to for a long time and for which I have fond memories. Theirs is a wonderful story, one that began in 1984 when a young couple decided to follow their passion for wine and buy land in Bolgheri. Back then the area was not famous and Eugenio Campolmi and Cinzia Merli were practically adopted by the few producers operating there.

Although they were young, they had a clear idea of what they wanted to do both from an agricultural and winemaking point of view. Their high-density vineyards would have vines that were both bilateral rod and spur trained and Guyot trained, the grapes would be native and in the winery large French-wood barrels as well as 112-liter half-barriques would be used. After the first few years of production another innovation was introduced, vinifying the grapes separately, and this led to the birth in 1994 of Messorio and Scrio. The first is made from Merlot and the second Syrah, while Paleo, the estate historic wine, became a Cabernet Franc varietal.

I still remember how enthusiastic Daniele Cernilli and I were when during a tasting of Bolgheri DOC wines, back in 1997, we were introduced to their wines by Pasquino Malenotti, at the time the greatest expert on the area’s wines. He passed away recently while Eugenio died unexpectedly in 2002, leaving Cinza to run the estate, which by then had become a recognized reality, along with her brother Massimo.

The philosophy guiding the estate has remained the same: experiment, innovate and always seek to improve the details even after having achieved success. In line with this they have renovated the vineyards, changed the root-stocks and the areas where the vineyards were planted. In the winery they stopped using half-barriques, opting for the classic-sized barrels, and returned to fermenting the grapes in cement under temperature-controlled conditions.

The following vertical tasting of Messorio highlights the technical and agronomical evolutions that have taken place which, together with greater experience, have allowed for better products. And it is amazing how great some vintages have become that previously were abhorred. This is a reflection of how important the period of experimentation was, even if at times casual, in creating wines that aged exceptionally. It was a necessary, obligatory and wonderful period for the growth of wine in Bolgheri as well as Italy as a whole.

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