Le Macchiole

Very refined, the Merlot Messorio with its great balance and finesse. Deeply dense and full-bodied, when the tannins have relaxed in the coming years, this wine will reach a fascinating perfection. SUPERIORE.DE

"Notes of blackcurrant, leather, tea and macchia; powerful, compact and balanced on the palate, ending with aromas of blackberry confit and herbs, very fresh and surprisingly youthful overall". Vinum

"Rich, deep dark ruby with a slight blue hue. Dense, exuberant nose, rich fruit, plums, blackberries and cassis. On the palate it is polished and lardy, develops with a lot of fine-grained tannin, salty, much rich, dark berry fruit, in the aftertaste a nice play between tobacco and fruit". Falstaff

"The 2011 Messorio takes hold of all the senses and never lets up. Rich and explosive to the core, the 2011 boasts stunning intensity and depth. Today, the 2011 is painfully young and packed with tannin. Even with all of its size, the 2011 retains gorgeous aromatic complexity and tons of nuance. This is a fabulous showing from Le Macchiole." Antonio Galloni

"Amazing aromas of sexy, decadent fruit with blackberry, dark chocolate and cedar. Full body with fine tannins and a long, long finish." James Suckling

"A pure expression of Merlot, the 2011 Messorio is a gorgeous wine that is already drinking at near-optimal performance now. It will be exciting to see where five to ten more years of cellar evolution take it. Cinzia Merli and her vineyard team took care to harvest the early-ripening varietal before autumn heat spikes. In fact, the integrity of the fruit is impeccable and you don’t get any of the jammy notes that are common in this warm vintage. The bouquet is broad and approachable with intense cherry, chocolate and tobacco. Supporting aromas of cola, grilled herb and exotic spice flesh out the finish. The tannins are plump and sweet." Robert Parker

Scrio - great Tuscan Syrah from Le Macchiole - is a true beauty. The persistent bouquet offers aromas of dark berries and cured meat, warm and balsamic on the palate with great intensity and dynamism, rich in extracts and long. SUPERIORE.DE

"Deep, dark ruby-red violet. Opens with emphatically spicy notes, of cedar wood, white pepper, cardamom and lots of blueberry. On the palate, it plays well, alternating between spicy and fruity notes, then shows fine tannin, very long finish." Falstaff

"Scrio is one of the few 100% Syrahs from Bolgheri and has great personality. Few similarities could be found with other Syrah from around the Mediterranean coasts. It's a floral expression with green pepper, spice and candied orange aromas. The 2016 displays a light grace on the palate with creamy tannins and lively acidity. It lacks a bit of flavour definition on the finish but will develop complexity with bottle ageing." Decanter

"The 2016 Scrio (Syrah) is another stellar wine from Le Macchiole. Today, it is the extraordinary purity of the fruit that makes the deepest impression. More typically varietal Syrah notes need time in bottle to be fully expressive, but the wine's textural finesse is truly remarkable. Dense and resonant, the 2016 also remains light on its feet. I can't wait to taste it in another few years' time." Vinous

"The 2016 Scrio is a fruitier Syrah than the 2015, which was more about the pepper and the savory spice. The 2015 was broader, while this wine is more linear and classic. It boasts more depth and brings a lot of earthy tones, and it's generally a much more vertical wine than the 2015. This is a very precise, beautiful and detailed expression of Syrah that shows a very generous disposition overall. In fact, this wine harnesses the exuberant abundance of the grape and channels it with extreme elegance." Robert Parker

"This is another magical edition of Scrio; the crazy peppermint, rosemary, cypress and oregano perfumes should be enough to prove that. But then comes gravitas, in the form of pure blackcurrants and blackberries with graphite. Hints of dried meat. This strikes such a fine balance between power and finesse, wrapping up beautifully polished tannins and blue fruit in a velvet extravaganza of flavor and depth. This doesn’t have quite the muscularity as the legendary 2015, but, boy, does it deliver! Drink in 2023 and well beyond that." James Suckling

Messorio has been one of the best and rarest Merlots in Italy for over a decade. Soft, rich, elegant, refined and never exaggerated. On the nose ripe fruits, coffee, graphite and French oak. Structured and balanced, Messorio fascinates the international wine world every year with a clarity and length that is second to none. SUPERIORE.DE

"Sparkling ruby with a garnet edge. Opened with accentuated spicy notes of cardamom and laurel, followed by blackberry. On the palate a lot of pithy, gripping tannin, relaxes a fine carpet of spices." Falstaff

"A little lean for Messorio but plenty of tobacco, cedar and berry character. Medium body, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Needs two or three years to come together." James Suckling

"The 2014 Messorio is another very pretty and expressive wine from Le Macchiole. The 2014 has lovely mid-palate density, especially for the year, along with a decidedly exotic passion fruit/apricot quality that will only grow as the wine continues to develop in bottle. I expect the 2014 starts to drink well relatively early, but it also has enough freshness and balance to hold for a number of years. Hints of truffle, raspberry jam, blood orange and spice infuse the layered, creamy finish." Antonio Galloni

Scrio - great Tuscan Syrah by Le Macchiole - is a true beauty. The persistent bouquet offers aromas of dark berries and cured meat, warm and balsamic on the palate with great intensity and dynamism, rich in extracts and long. SUPERIORE.DE

"Rich ruby violet. Inviting and intense nose with pronounced notes of plums, blueberries and blood oranges. A dense tannin on the palate, with a good feel, deep, clearly earthy tones, firm pressure in the finish, lots of tobacco." Falstaff

"Black cherry, chocolate, new leather, spice and menthol all flesh out in a wine that possesses notable power. Today, Scrio is mostly a wine of texture and density, while varietal notes are not especially evident. The oak is also quite dominant." Antonio Galloni

"Deep and saturated in both color and fruit, with core flavors of ripe plum, blackberry and black cherry, this red also offers interwoven notes of earth, vanilla, licorice and black pepper. This is solidly built, yet also polished and balanced, with a long, palate-staining finish." Wine Spectator

"It's worth noting that the Scrio was not made in 2014, as Syrah did not reach the right maturity for the quality Le Macchiole looks for. The 2015 growing season wasn't much easier, with 15 days of extreme heat in July. August brought cooler weather, and so they tried to slow down the ripening process by doing very little green harvest. This vintage is marked by more pepper than fruit, but it's still a beautiful effort, and I see a lot of potential for aging this wine. The 2015 Scrio is made with a more reductive approach overall, and this vintage needs a year or two to open fully. Only 3,000 bottles were made." Robert Parker

"A stunning syrah; the real McCoy for the variety. The depth of aroma takes your breath away with bark, tea leaves, peppermint, dried rosemary, thyme, sage, pressed violets, cedar, creme de cassis, blackcurrants and lavender. The palate is incredibly tight and yet, profound in its delivery of flavors. Full body, layer upon layer of fruit of every color on the spectrum, pinpoint acidity and a finish that seems endless." James Suckling

Messorio has been one of the best and rarest Merlots in Italy for over a decade. Soft, rich, elegant, refined and never exaggerated. On the nose ripe fruits, coffee, graphite and French oak. Structured and balanced, Messorio fascinates the international wine world every year with a clarity and length that is second to none. SUPERIORE.DE

"Sparkling ruby with a garnet edge. Opened with accentuated spicy notes of cardamom and laurel, followed by blackberry. On the palate a lot of pithy, gripping tannin, relaxes a fine carpet of spices." Falstaff

"A little lean for Messorio but plenty of tobacco, cedar and berry character. Medium body, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Needs two or three years to come together." James Suckling

"The 2014 Messorio is another very pretty and expressive wine from Le Macchiole. The 2014 has lovely mid-palate density, especially for the year, along with a decidedly exotic passion fruit/apricot quality that will only grow as the wine continues to develop in bottle. I expect the 2014 starts to drink well relatively early, but it also has enough freshness and balance to hold for a number of years. Hints of truffle, raspberry jam, blood orange and spice infuse the layered, creamy finish." Antonio Galloni

Very refined, the Merlot Messorio with its great balance and finesse. Deeply dense and full-bodied, when the tannins have relaxed in the coming years, this wine will reach a fascinating perfection. SUPERIORE.DE

"Notes of blackcurrant, leather, tea and macchia; powerful, compact and balanced on the palate, ending with aromas of blackberry confit and herbs, very fresh and surprisingly youthful overall". Vinum

"Rich, deep dark ruby with a slight blue hue. Dense, exuberant nose, rich fruit, plums, blackberries and cassis. On the palate it is polished and lardy, develops with a lot of fine-grained tannin, salty, much rich, dark berry fruit, in the aftertaste a nice play between tobacco and fruit". Falstaff

"The 2011 Messorio takes hold of all the senses and never lets up. Rich and explosive to the core, the 2011 boasts stunning intensity and depth. Today, the 2011 is painfully young and packed with tannin. Even with all of its size, the 2011 retains gorgeous aromatic complexity and tons of nuance. This is a fabulous showing from Le Macchiole." Antonio Galloni

"Amazing aromas of sexy, decadent fruit with blackberry, dark chocolate and cedar. Full body with fine tannins and a long, long finish." James Suckling

"A pure expression of Merlot, the 2011 Messorio is a gorgeous wine that is already drinking at near-optimal performance now. It will be exciting to see where five to ten more years of cellar evolution take it. Cinzia Merli and her vineyard team took care to harvest the early-ripening varietal before autumn heat spikes. In fact, the integrity of the fruit is impeccable and you don’t get any of the jammy notes that are common in this warm vintage. The bouquet is broad and approachable with intense cherry, chocolate and tobacco. Supporting aromas of cola, grilled herb and exotic spice flesh out the finish. The tannins are plump and sweet." Robert Parker

"Bright, intense ruby violet. Wonderfully seductive nose, smells of raspberries, blackberries, behind it fine chocolate. Initially a little timid, shows a lot of juicy berry fruit, then sets off and opens in many layers with finely woven tannin, builds up for a long time, in the finale firm and with nice pressure."Falstaff

"I have tasted this wine a number of times and it ranges from 97 to 98 points in my scoring. The subtlety and depth to this is amazing. Aromas of ripe fruit, chili powder, and toasted oak with hints of rosemary follow through to a full body, with very fine tannins and a long finish. Integrated and attractive now, but better in 2014."James Suckling