2019 Le Macchiole Bolgheri Messorio
How does this wine taste?
How full and heavy the wine feels in your mouth, like the difference between skimmed milk and cream. More alcohol, sugar and oak ageing make a wine fuller.
The drying, grippy feel on your gums and tongue, as with strong tea. It comes from the skins and seeds of black grapes and from oak, and softens with age.
How much sugar you taste, from dry to sweet. Fruity is not the same as sweet: a dry wine can taste of ripe fruit.
How fresh and juicy the wine is: acidity makes your mouth water. High acidity tastes lively and refreshing, low acidity soft and round.
What we taste What you taste Click a taste for what it means
The bars follow how sommeliers taste (WSET): body, tannin, sweetness and acidity, each from low to high.
Body: powerful. Fuller than most red wines from ; 14.5% alcohol.
Tannin: firm. From ; aged in oak.
Sweetness: dry. Red wine from is almost always dry.
Acidity: medium. from the warm climate of .
Aromas: dark fruit and red fruit, typical of
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Log inWinery Le Macchiole
Le Macchiole is one of the absolute benchmarks on the Tuscan coast and was founded in the early 1980s by Eugenio Campolmi. Under the leadership of Cinzia Merli, the estate developed into a leading producer of varietal wines, with a clear focus on terroir, energy, and balance. The vineyards are managed with great care, with a strong focus on biodiversity and a natural environment. Le Macchiole operates organically and places a strong emphasis on precision in both the vineyard and the cellar.
More information about this winery can be found under the Winery tab.
Region, climate and location
Bolgheri is located on the Tuscan coast and is influenced by its proximity to the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Mediterranean climate brings warm days and cooling sea breezes, contributing to a long growing season and maintaining freshness. The 2019 vintage is considered very balanced, with ripe fruit and ample tension, giving this wine both power and refinement.
Vineyards and grape varieties
Messorio 2019 is a pure Merlot, sourced from an exceptional plot of approximately 2.5 hectares. The soil consists of a complex mix of clay, silt, sandstone, and limestone, which provides structure, minerality, and aromatic layering. Yields are low and production is very limited, at approximately 11,000 bottles, making this wine particularly exclusive.
Harvest, vinification and maturation
After a careful hand-harvest, the wine ferments in concrete vats, which contributes to the precision and purity of the fruit. Messorio then matures for approximately 18 months in new barriques. This approach adds structure and texture without overpowering the Merlot character.
Color, smell and taste
The wine has a deep ruby red color. The nose reveals notes of ripe plum, cherry, and dark fruit, complemented by nuances of hazelnut, coffee, tar, and subtle floral accents. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and concentrated, with ripe berries, mocha, and cappuccino-like notes. The tannins are present yet finely honed, providing structure without heaviness. The striking balance between natural richness and elegance is evident, with a long, refined finish that combines fruit, spice, and minerality.
Development and drinking window
Several drinking windows are mentioned for this vintage. Monica Larner of The Wine Advocate (97+ points) sees potential from 2025 to 2048. Antonio Galloni of Vinous (97 points) suggests a drinking window of approximately 2027 to 2039. James Suckling advises patience and suggests drinking from around 2028. The wine clearly has the potential for extended aging and increasing complexity.
Summary of professional reviews
Monica Larner of The Wine Advocate awarded Messorio 2019 97+ points, praising the aromatic precision, balance, and elegance of this Merlot. Antonio Galloni of Vinous awarded 97 points, highlighting the combination of natural opulence and finesse, without heaviness. James Suckling also awarded 97 points, praising the ripe fruit expression and refined tannin structure.
The full review texts can be found in the Professional Reviews tab.
If available, you'll find the official fact sheet and additional information about this fine wine in the "Attachments" tab. We'll automatically send you this information when you order this wine. The wine is stored in our climate-controlled Wine Warehouse, and if you pick it up, you'll often receive a nice discount. You'll see your discount immediately when you select "Pick up" at the checkout page. We're located in Dordrecht, right next to the A16 motorway, with ample parking. Click here for our address.
You can read the full wine reviews from Parker, Suckling, Vinous, and Wine Spectator, among others. Need advice finding the perfect wine? Click here for our exclusive Sommelier. Free for Grand Cru customers.
Character
The wine
- 100%
Origin
Bottle
Wine features
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 97+
Reviewed by:
Monica Larner
Release Price:
$300
Drink Date:
2025 - 2048
The stunning Le Macchiole 2019 Messorio is all Merlot from a special 2.5-hectare plot with a classic mix of Bolgheri soils featuring clay, silt, sandstone and limestone. The wine ferments in concrete and finishes in new barrique for 18 months. I spoke with proprietor Cinzia Merli about Merlot, and she concedes that this early-ripening grape suffers the most because of climate change. However, the winemaking team works extra hard for balance and elegance notwithstanding. This beautiful wine releases perfumes of cherry, blue flower, iris root, crushed stone and slate. Well-balanced oak tones add power and texture to the full-bodied close. 11,000 bottles were released.
I enjoyed an epic tasting with Le Macchiole proprietor Cinzia Merli, Winemaker Luca Rettondini and Vineyard Manager Elia Campolmi (Cinzia's son). We tasted three vintages each of the three headline wines Paleo (Cabernet Franc), Scrio (Syrah) and Messorio (Merlot). I gave final scores to the 2019s that are on the market now. I gave a range of scores to the 2020s that we tasted from barrel, but I decided not to give scores (only initial impressions) to the 2021s because these still have a long way to go. The 2020s will hit the market in March 2024. The 2021s are gorgeous, and I look forward to tasting these samples at a later date. Le Macchiole is organic, although they are not currently certified. This will change in 2023 when the winery will obtain certification. The team is especially involved with maintaining the surrounding forests for the sake of biodiversity and for a more functional purpose in that these "green lungs" are beneficial to vine health.
Published: Jul 29, 2022
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James Suckling
Score
97
Avg Price (ex-tax)
$ 263
Le Macchiole Toscana Messorio 2019
Monday, Jun 26, 2023
Color
Red
Country
Italy
Region
Tuscany
Vintage
2019
Download Shelftalker
The plums and hazelnuts come out clearly on the nose with some tar and black coffee undertones. It's full-bodied with ripe berry and cappuccino flavors. Chewy yet fine tannins. Merlot. Try after 2028.
James Suckling
Senior Editor
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Vinous
97
Drinking Window
2027 - 2039
From: Tuscany: New Releases from the Coast (Jul 2022)
The 2019 Messorio marries the natural opulence of Merlot on the Tuscan Coast with a feeling of finesse I don’t think I have ever seen here before. There is plenty of depth and resonance, but none of the heaviness that was so in vogue for many years. Dark cherry, plum, spice, mocha and lifted floral notes build into the racy, exotic finish. (Originally Published in March 2022)
- By Antonio Galloni on February 2022
I was super-impressed with the 2019s at Le Macchiole. As has been the case for some time, the wines continue to move in a direction that favors energy over opulence. That is most obvious in Scrio, the estate’s pure Syrah. The Cabernet Franc Paleo and Merlot Messorio are very much wines in reserve at this early stage, but they are quite promising.
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Le Macchiole is a relatively small domain (24 Ha) in the Bolgheri in Tuscany in Italy. The domain was founded in 1983 by Eugenio Campolmi and Cinzia Merli. Before 1983 Eugenio's father and grandfather already produced wines, mainly for his own use. The name "Le Macchiole" means "The place where everything started". The domain is best known for its wines, especially wines made from Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah. With the 1987 harvest, the first wines were put on the market commercially. Especially in these early years, Eugenio and Cinzia produced multi-grape wines, focusing on Bordeaux blends. From the mid-1990s, they specialized in wines made from a grape variety.
Unfortunately Eugenio died in 2002, he was only 40 years old. At the moment, “Le Macchiole” is headed by his widow Cinzia. The first wine made under her leadership (since 1994) is the Messorio, a 100% Merlot wine that has been aged in wooden barrels (barriques) for 20 months and bottled without filtration. It is without doubt one of the best Merlots from Italy and can be compared to the best Merlots from Bordeaux. Total production is approximately 9000 bottles per year.
The Paleo Rosso is a wine that is all made from the Cabernet Franc grape, in the early years of this release the wine also contained small parts of Cabernet Sauvignon and / or Sangiovese. The wine was first released in 1989 and has been aged for 18 months in wooden barrels. The Paleo Rosso is one of the very best Cabernet Franc wines worldwide! Total production: 25000 - 30000 bottles.
The Scrio is the third wine from Le Macchiole, made from 100% Syrah. This wine can also compete with the best that can be made of Syrah, the style resembles that of the Rhône Valley in France. The first edition was in 1994, production is very limited: only 6,500 bottles.
Le Macchiole has become a reference for Bolgheri. In 2008, their top wine Messorio in WineSpectator was rated with 100/100 points.
Deze diepe robijnrode Merlot toont rijpe pruim, kers en donker zomerfruit met fijne tannines, mokka- en koffienuances, subtiele hazelnoot- en bloemtonen en een mineralige, lange afdronk. Dankzij die geconcentreerde fruitigheid, elegante structuur en zachte tannines sluit de wijn uitstekend aan bij rundvlees, wild, gerechten van de barbecue en intieme diners omdat het zowel vet en eiwit snijdt als de rokerige en kruidige smaken versterkt. Gerechten zoals gegrilde ribeye of entrecote met een licht kruidige dry rub, langzaam gegaarde gestoofde ribben of gerookte hertenbiefstuk en aan tafel geserveerde lamsbout met rozemarijn accentueren het beste in deze wijn.
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