2022 Le Macchiole (Cinzia Campolmi) - Bolgheri Rosso Le Macchiole (750ml)

Le Macchiole was founded in 1983 by Eugenio Campolmi, who saw the promise of the Bolgheri coastline years before it became one of Tuscany's most celebrated wine zones. Working first with consulting winemaker Vittorio Fiore and later with Luca d'Attoma, Campolmi took an unusual path for the area, favoring pure single-variety wines over the Bordeaux blends made famous by neighboring estates. After his death in 2002, his wife Cinzia Merli took the helm, and the estate is now also shaped by their children Elia and Mattia, who have continued the family's organic farming practices while keeping true to Eugenio's original vision.

Bolgheri Rosso, first produced in 2004, was created as the estate's most direct and approachable expression of its terroir, sourced from four of Le Macchiole's five vineyards: Puntone, Vignone, Casa Nuova, and I Sommi. The 2022 blend combines Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah from vines ranging between five and 25 years old, farmed organically without chemical inputs. The grapes ferment and macerate for about 15 days in stainless steel before the wine ages roughly ten months in a mix of neutral oak barrels and concrete, an approach designed to highlight fruit and site over heavy extraction or new wood.

The wine shows a youthful ruby red color, opening to mixed berry preserve, candied flowers, and sweet earthy notes, joined by blackberry, blueberry, and dark chocolate. The palate is full-bodied and bright, with chalky tannins and a long, saline finish. It pairs naturally with grilled meats, roasted game, or a hearty pasta with rich tomato sauce.