The 2009 Bolgheri Rosso is a big, beautiful wine loaded with fruit and tons of up-front personality. Deceptively medium in body, the Rosso shows plenty of depth and a fresh, vinous finish. This is an excellent choice for near-term drinking. The Rosso is 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet and 20% Syrah aged in cement and neutral oak. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. These may very well be the finest wines I have ever tasted from Le Macchiole. There is no question these are the best wines the estate has ever produced relative to the overall quality and potential of the vintage. Over the years this cutting edge estate has been at the forefront of many developments in Maremma and Italy including working with low yields, densely planted vineyards and using small 112 liter barrels for the flagship Merlot, Messorio. Proprietor Cinzia Merli and long-time oenologist Luca d’Attoma have continued to search for ways to improve. These 2008s show the direction of the future. New oak levels are down, the quality of coopers is up and the estate is moving towards larger 500-liter barrels on some of the wines. Le Macchiole has always produced stunning fruit. Now that much of the makeup is beginning to come off the wines it is obvious the estate’s potential is limitless. Nowhere is a return to a more classic style in Italy more evident than at Le Macchiole. Importer: Domaine Select, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799

Le Macchiole’s basic Bolgheri blend (Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah) is a dark and penetrating wine with smoky, granite-like tones followed by dark or candied fruit. It’s not too complicated in style or presentation, but does promise easy red-meat pairing potential. ——M.L.(2/1/2012)—— 89