Le Macchiole, Bolgheri, Paleo Rosso

Very balanced fine tannins great acidity medium long finish, elegant, however it’s not the most expressive wine as I would have hoped.

2018 vintage

Paleo vertical of 12 vintages from 2000 to 2017, served single blind. Main takeaways: i/ a recognizable handwriting with extraction pushed to, but not exceeding, the limit and a herbal rubber-stamp, ii/ inconsistent age-ability where hotter vintages are already struggling and cooler vintages generally offering more balanced, fresher wines, iii/ my favorites were 2000, 2004, 2010, 2011 (hot vintage, but cooler along the coast in Bolgheri). Tasting note: Intense, fruit-forward bouquet with extracted and sweet cherry fruit. Concentrated palate with …

2010 vintage

Paleo vertical of 12 vintages from 2000 to 2017, served single blind. Main takeaways: i/ a recognizable handwriting with extraction pushed to, but not exceeding, the limit and a herbal rubber-stamp, ii/ inconsistent age-ability where hotter vintages are already struggling and cooler vintages generally offering more balanced, fresher wines, iii/ my favorites were 2000, 2004, 2010, 2011 (hot vintage, but cooler along the coast in Bolgheri). Tasting note: Lots of sweet, oaky notes - but well balanced with an extracted …

2004 vintage

Genussrallye Toskana 2025; 10/30/2025-11/2/2025 (Genussrallye Toskana P&P) : Eleganz und Komplexität großer italienischer Weine. Cabernet Franc 100%

2018 vintage

ad-hoc sextet (Silvian Alter) : Deep ruby hue with compelling darkness. Aromas of blackcurrants, plums, and wild cherry layered with blue florals, leather, and espresso. Spicy herbal undertones—thyme, rosemary, baking spices—add aromatic complexity. Full-bodied, with rich fruit framed by elegant structure and fine acidity. Muscular yet polished tannins support the wine's depth. Precise texture with a balancing minerality and freshness. Long, graceful finish with lingering dark fruit, oak spice, and savory echoes. A masterful expression of Cabernet Franc in Bolgheri—powerful, …

2010 vintage

Great nose of red fruits. Decanted for about an hour. Drank with grilled ahi tuna whick seems to be a nice pairing. Still is fresh and fine. Recent. comments on this one resonated with us.

2010 vintage

Consistent with prior note. This was very wound up even after a 1 hour decant. I will wait on the next one and/or decant for much longer.

2010 vintage

Cork. 14.5% alc. Dark core. Black fruits, cassis, dark chocolate, tomato leaf. Medium bodied. Expressive and rich in the mouth. Good length. Drink or hold.

2010 vintage

Has blossomed into something profound. Bright, well-defined cab franc notes on opening became steadily more complex with air until the peak on day 2. Cured meat and tobacco integrated well with lingering freshness and persistency. This wine is only getting better. My only concern is that the cork was 80% saturated yet still intact on removal with the Ah-So.

2010 vintage

17x Tuscany 2010 : All wines tasted blind: 11 Sangiovese, 6 Bordeaux blends. The 2010 vintage in Tuscany was hailed as legendary early on, and while it produced some beautiful wines, the overall quality is less consistent than expected. A few key takeaways: 1) A great vintage at the top. The best wines have structure, freshness, and aromatic depth, with serious aging potential. 2) Not yet at their peak. The top wines are still not fully expressive, needing more time …

2010 vintage

Wonderful and far away from the end of its window.. Dark color with a gorgeous nose with fruit, licorice, dark chocolate,rosemary, and vanilla. Long and elegant finish with smooth tannin and a hint of sweet.

2010 vintage

Fri lunch with Roni (at my home) : 100% Cabernet Franc Deep ruby-brown Med+ aromas intensity of black currants, crushed blue flowers, leather, and baking spices. Med+ flavors intensity of blackberries, black cherry, white pepper, thyme, and licorice, supported by firm yet elegant tannins and fresh acidity. Dry, high acidity, med+ tannins, med abv, med body, good complexity and balance, long finish and aftertaste. Can drink now or age through 2040.

2010 vintage

Da coravin. Colore intenso e profondo, naso in evoluzione ma immediatamente disponibile, offre una prima impressione compatta e decisamente varietale, che si impreziosisce e approfondisce esprimendo tonalità e scansioni sempre più complesse ed eleganti. Dolcezza di ciliegia ed amarena, mora mirtillo e ribes, fragoline e scorza di arancia amara essiccata. Macchia mediterranea, pineta, liquirizia, cacao e torrefazione. Compatto anche in bocca con tannini docili e amaricanti, ampia presenza che riempie gli spazi gustativi in tutte le dimensioni. Grande persistenza. Perfetta …

2004 vintage

First of 4 bottles and absolutely spot on. Big wine, luscious and well integrated fruit and tannins.

2010 vintage

20.10. Letzter Abend bei Zirm, mit Gregor und Sandra zum Abschluss: total ueberzeugend, CabFranc bringt Frische und trotzdem weich, unbedingt mal kaufen

2018 vintage

Plenty of fruit left in the tank. Silky and supple with suave tannins. Drinking very well with no signs of slowing down.

2004 vintage

Wonderful bottle. Dark color, spicy and complex nose. Bouquet of dark fruit, licorice, dark chocolate, tobacco, rosemary, sandalwood, vanilla. Thick, even oily texture. Long and elegant finish with silky tannins and superb sweetness. But still quite young. Can go for many more years.

2010 vintage

Cork. 14% alc. Deep core with garnet edge. Black fruits, cedar, pencil shavings. Medium to full bodied. Opens out after 30 mins in glass. Fine, silty tannins and good length. Oak and acid and tannins are all present but balanced so well. Drinking well.

2004 vintage

Much better than my last bottle. The cork was decent this time. Opened for an hour with no decant. Dark fruit and licorice with tobacco notes emerging as well as a touch of cured meat and raspberry on the palate. Very complex yet inviting. A completely different wine tonight. A nice finish with a bit of oyster shell and saline. I’m guessing this will continue to improve slowly.

2010 vintage

A bittersweet farewell to this last bottle in my collection. Strong notes of plum and dark berries on the nose and the tongue. Tannins are nearly nonexistent and the mouth feel is incredibly smooth. A decadent experience at 20 years old. If I can find more, I may just buy a few.

2004 vintage

Another spectacular bottle of this. I love the balance of still present darker toned fruit, the certain sweetness and freshness of this great vintage and the aromatic complexity. Superb length too. A great Paleo and it probably won‘t get much better for CF in Tuscany then this…

2010 vintage

Distinctive green bell pepper, thyme and wild herbs with subtle sweet plums and dark chocolate along with some pencil shavings. Smooth and concentrated. With age the wine enters into a sweet spot now. Undoubtedly the best Cab Franc from Italy, could even rival Clos Rougeard.

2004 vintage

Drank a glass via Coravin. Initially, even after 20-30 minutes of air, the oak was pretty intense and overall this felt a bit overpowering. But at the 60 minute mark it had mellowed meaningfully and was really beautiful. Fresh with layers of red and dark fruit juicy goodness. But this is not a fruit bomb. More like a high quality Cab Franc heavy Bordeaux. Tobacco, dark chocolate with floral notes. Still very big, and I suspect this will age for …

2010 vintage

I have to rewrite my note: On day one, the wine was quite disappointing - harmonious and smooth in a boring way, rather slender. On day two, the wine begins really to shine. It gains length, volume, depth - so I only review day two here. Lots of fresh red fruit on the nose, slender, vanilla, a little spice. Fresh and lean on the palate, noticeable but well-integrated tannins. The typicity is very subtle - spice and green notes are …

2018 vintage

Nice ruby color in the glass with minimal bricking. Nose of brambles and black currants with some reductive notes. Medium+ acidity, and then all the typo city of Cabernet Franc coming out with red currants, lots of pencil led, some forest floor, grippy tannins still, and medium+ ending with some oak in it but overall nice and balanced. In a great spot now, no rush as I think this might actually develop further. Drink now-2030 or even later if you …

2004 vintage

really great but not sure it was worth that price?

2010 vintage

Big red with raspberry, blackberry, and oak flavors.

2010 vintage

Rich, lush, dark fruits, balanced. Terrific!

2010 vintage

Toscana IGT Le Macchiole Paleo rosso 2018 Beautiful intense nose mixing strawberry and chocolate. On the palate, I was expecting something tight and very young, but the wine is already expressed well, with bright black fruit, pepper and vanilla. It’s intense but loose, silky and deep. Good balance which makes you forget the 14° to finish with a nice peppery finish. Good length which will increase over time. Very good Cabernet Franc, warmer than its French cousins and which will …

2018 vintage

Fantastic ripe Cabernet franc showing a sense of place. Still enough fruit to support all the tobacco and herbs. Fresh and soft but intense and perfumed From magnum

2010 vintage

J’étais en Rhône sud grenache. Mûr et assez frais, c’est savoureux, une pointe d’alcool. Quand même très bien. 91 pts

2010 vintage

SLDS March 2023 : Slate, some smoke, some cherry and blackcurrant as well. Weighty palate but really good tannin structure to go with the ripe black fruits. Plenty of texture and depth here.

2010 vintage

Another perfect bottle of my favorite Cabernet Franc. No formal notes. Dusty and green and spicy, with such fine fruit! A quite big wine in this lovely vintage - very enjoyable. Excellent!

2010 vintage

李子与黑樱桃的成熟果味，甘草、丁香，略有石墨和脂粉气息。复杂度不算非常突出，但已经熟化的单宁和良好的酸度让入口感觉非常圆润而多汁。香气慷慨开放，成熟而健康，风格沉稳而色彩明快，仿佛在诉说自己正在生涯的最佳阶段。

2010 vintage

appearance// intensity: medium colour: ruby red with some purple on the edge nose// intensity: medium+ aroma: primary influenced (ripe fruits - cherry, raspberry) but also secondary notes (chocolate) palate// acidity: high and luscious (great potential to develope further the next years) tannin: medium alcohol: high (14%vol) body: medium+ flavour intensity: pronounced flavour charistics: again primary dominated. fruity. red cherry - wow -, raspberry and also strawberry but also herbaceous tastes of tomato leaf and spicy notes (pepper). Combined nice secondary …

2018 vintage

Liquered cherry and black raspberry. Pronounced pyrazines and unabashed oak. Fuller bodied. Like a Bordeaux haut medoc from a warmer vintage. Maybe could use a bit more density of flavor on the palate.

2010 vintage

WINE & SPIRITS TOP 100, SAN FRANCISCO (San Francisco, Ca.) : Nose of cherry, floral notes, and black berry, same on the palate, medium/big body, tasty, mouth filling, long finish.

2018 vintage

Saturated cork which is common from this producer lately. Several hours in the decanter and still not much going on for me. Agree with the kind of “meh.” Hopefully it is just a phase and it needs more time. I’ve enjoyed the 2011 and 2012 much more. Cautiously optimistic things will eventually come around.

2010 vintage

BX style : see my previous TN

2004 vintage

Medium purple color, with some garnet and just a touch of bricking towards the rim. Notes of dark plum, cassis, elderflowers, tobacco leaf, some flowery notes of violets, the oak has integrated beautifully, some graphite, smoke, also sweet spices. It‘s medium-full bodied, has great persistence and depth but it’s not heavy, has medium-high acidity providing excellent freshness and medium+ tannin that is super ripe but present and good quality. Very good length. A superb Paleo and as good as this …

2010 vintage

Absolutely stunning and balanced right now. There is plenty of dark red berries with the classic note of green bell pepper. Plenty of acidity and even though the tannins are still present they are no longer rough but simply adds a bit of structure. It is started to show a bit of age with flavors of wet leaves and mushrooms, it is still only as a minor note in the wine and it still feels fairly young. The wine could …

2004 vintage

This is a very good wine, but not anywhere near the fanfu*kingtastic wines Le Macchiole has produced for this Paleo label from 2008 and forward (with the exception of 2013). A rather hot vintage showing off prunes, brambles and cooked compote in ways that are VERY delicious but don’t impress. And the bitter tannins in the finnish are far from savoury, yet did (in fact) marry several dishes tonight at the Restaurant. Not something I would seek out for a …

2004 vintage

Bocca di Lupo, London

2004 vintage

Lots of green pepper on the nose, a bit Porty with stewed vegetables and fruit compote, but there’s an elegance and structure here. Beginning perhaps to become a bit disjointed.

2004 vintage

Decanted and needed 30 min, initially was mostly dark chocolate. Plenty of energy, earthy notes, good freshness, the fruit is a bit overripe for me, there is acidity but slightly offset. Occasionally a good CF typicity will emerge, while most of the time is covered by oak. Medium weighted as you would expect from CF, paired with chingiale stew and later with vintage gauda (the sweetness of the cheese matched nicely the fruit). On the good side, this pure intensity …

2004 vintage

Not only is the current drink date of 2011-2020 totally off as it came off as extremely young, me and my two friends (both in the wine industry) who drank this with me did not enjoy this at all. If you drank this blind it would be so ripe and full throttle while covered with so much oak influence that you won't be able to tell what grape this is even made with. Right out of the bottle there was …

2004 vintage

Ramat-Aviv Boys meeting (at my home) : medium ruby med+ aromas intensity of roasted plums, dry ripe black cherries, raspberries, cranberries, green bell-pepper, oak-vanila, forest floor, dry tobacco leaves, dark tea; eucalyptus, mint, leather; developed; dry, high acidity, high tannins, high abv (14%), full body, pronounced flavours intensity consistent with the aromas, long finish; outstanding! drink now - unlikely to improve with further aging

2004 vintage

Young and tight but promising. Nowadays 100 % cab. franc which I prefer to the -90s cab. sav. / cab. franc blend of this wine. I would give this one 5+ years before opening next bottle.

2004 vintage

clear, deep ruby clean, primary, secondary & tertiary dark fruits aromas, leather, earth, spice, oak-vanilla, developed dry, high acidity, high tannins, full body, rich red fruits & floral flavours, tobacco, dark chocolate, mint, eucalyptus, long finish, developed

2004 vintage

Regular dinner group (By PvD @ Fitzgerald) : Dark berries, toast and licorice in the bouquet. On the palate also chocolate and sweet spices. Good acidity and a pleasant touch of sweetness.

2004 vintage

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Le Macchiole, Bolgheri, Paleo Rosso

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