Le Macchiole’s 2008 Bolgheri Rosso is a gorgeous wine. Ripe dark fruit melds into flowers, smoke, licorice, tar and minerals as this fresh, vinous red opens up in the glass. There is a wonderful purity and sheer density to the fruit that caresses the palate all the way through to the round, engaging finish. This is one of the more important vintages of the Bolgheri Rosso I can remember. Simply put, it is terrific. The Rosso is made from the estate’s second selection of vineyards. The quality of the 2008 augurs extremely well for the estate’s higher-end bottlings. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022. Le Macchiole crafted some of the most successful wines in Bolgheri in 2007. Proprietor Cinzia Merli and long-time consulting oenologist Luca D’Attoma continue to make important strides, as the estate seems to be heading for a less obvious, decidedly elegant style than has sometimes been the case in the past. A conversion to biodynamic farming in some of the estate’s vineyards and a more enlightened use of French oak are among the recent developments at Le Macchiole. Importer: Domaine Select, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799

Le Macchiole’s Bolgheri Rosso blend (Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Sangiovese) delivers an honest, but rich bouquet of black fruit, coffee, spice and chocolate shadings. The oak used here is two and three years old but has shaped a soft, velvety mouthfeel nonetheless. ——M.L.(12/15/2010)—— 90