In their recent publication titled “Little Bolgheri’s Big Appeal”, Wine Spectator focuses on industry-leading Super Tuscan producers, including Vintus’ very own Le Macchiole and Ornellaia. These producers are united in their spectacular production of international grapes in a small pocket of Italy. Senior editor Bruce Sanderson elaborates that adventurous vintners are making terrific, adventurous wines in Tuscany that are unconstrained by traditional rules and varieties found elsewhere. The region is witnessing skilled winemakers fuse traditional Bordeaux grapes with new-school winemaking techniques to create “almost New World character [with] savory and wild herb notes strongly rooted in Tuscany.”
The feature additionally includes interviews with Le Macchiole’s Chinzia Meril and Orenllaia’s Axel Heinz (below). To read more about these producers and Bolgheri, read the full article HERE.
Le Macchiole, founded in 1983, began as a love story. But in 2002, Cinzia Merli and her husband had just expanded their vineyard holdings and designed a new cellar when he died. But she kept on: “What has not changed is the love and the passion that we put into this job.” Her Le Macchiole Toscana Messorio 2015 (97 points) is pure Merlot, “a great variety, but it’s really sensitive,” Merli said. “You must take care of it.” And they do: Ten vineyard plots are vinified separately, half in steel and half in concrete, then aged 18 months in new oak barrels. The result is a vibrant wine with what Sanderson described as “unabashed fruit.”
Ornellaia may be a famous wine, but it all goes back to the vineyard, said winemaker Axel Heinz. “There are sudden soil changes, there are sudden changes of exposition that really make for a patchwork of different terroir expressions,” Heinz explained of its advantages. His 2015 Bolgheri Superiore (97 points) is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, showing the “seamless and flawless” nature of the vintage, with fine acidity but powerful structure.
Related Producers
Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
Ornellaia has established itself as one of the most iconic producers in Italy (and beyond). The estate is dedicated to producing charming and opulent wines, full of Mediterranean character and finesse, reflecting the estate's unique terroir in Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast.
Le Macchiole
Bolgheri, Italy
Le Macchiole can best be defined as the “Boutique Bolgheri.” The winery is known for its spectacular single-varietal wines, and their signature grape varieties are Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc and work is always conducted with the priority being "the expression of the land." The winery continues to evolve in both the vineyards and in the cellar to allow the soil characteristics from this estate property to be the defining identity in the wines.