2020 Paleo Rosso 1,5 l Le Macchiole

A saturated red color and made entirely from Cabernet Franc, the 2020 Paleo is another wine with a lot of bravado, offering beautifully intertwining, classic notes of pencil shavings, toasted sage, cedar, and cassis. At this youthful stage, it will need time to aromatically integrate with its oak, as the oak becomes more prevalent through the palate. It has ripe tannins, evenly balanced acidity, and more vanillin spices that last long on the back palate, but I suspect this wine may have seen a touch more new oak. Drink 2026-2046. One of the benchmark wineries of Bolgheri, Eugenio Campolmi and Cinzia Merli purchased this estate in 1983 and planted their first four hectares of vines. Today, Cinzia Merli is joined by her two sons, Elia and Mattia, who work together to run the estate. Their holdings now consist of ten parcels, eight in Bolgheri and two in Bibbona, just to the north. In the vineyards, they practice organic farming while also implementing some biodynamic practices. Paleo Rosso’s first vintage was in 1989, before becoming exclusively dedicated to Cabernet Franc in 2001. Today, they make some of the most compelling ranges of single-varietal wines. Messorio is dedicated to Merlot, Scrio to Syrah, and Paleo Rosso to Cabernet Franc.

The 2020 Paleo Rosso is classy, elegant and wonderfully polished. Crushed flowers, spice and blood orange lend brightness. Deceptive in its mid-weight structure, Paleo Rosso offers tons of depth. Historically it has aged quite well. I expect that will be the case here also, as the 2020 exudes balance from start to finish. The 2020 spent 18 months in 100% French oak, with 5% of the wine aged in amphora.

One of Italy's best Cabernet Francs, the Le Macchiole 2020 Paleo is very dense and richly concentrated with a level of dark fruit that can only be chipped at and broken down by slow cellar aging. Paleo is always a wine for the long haul. The oak needs time to integrate and find focus. Even at this young stage, the quality of the tannins and the spot-on fruit ripeness is convincing. A note of sweet cherry, exotic spice and dark chocolate make for a long send-off.