Paleo Rosso Le Macchiole 2018

Le Macchiole winery's 'Paleo' Rosso is an iconic Tuscan bottle, one of the greatest and most elegant expressions of Cabernet Franc in Italy. We are in Castagneto Carducci, in the heart of the Bolgheri territory, where in 1989, the 'Paleo' Rosso made its debut as a "supertuscan" blend, with Cabernet Sauvignon and a small percentage of Sangiovese, immediately imposing itself among the best wines of the area. In 2001, the bold decision to transform this label into a pure Cabernet Franc proved successful, and today the 'Paleo' Rosso represents the symbol of Le Macchiole. Paleo is a wild grass of the Tuscan coast, chosen as the name to represent the strong link between the winery and the territory.

Le Macchiole 'Paleo' Rosso is derived from only Cabernet Franc grapes from the Puntone, Casa Nuova and Vignone vineyards, planted in 1994, 1998 and 2009 and 1999, respectively. The composition of the soils varies according to the subzone and generally sees a high presence of clay, limestone and skeleton. Manual harvesting is followed by double sorting of the grapes, which are then mellowed in concrete tanks for alcoholic fermentation associated with about 25 days of contact between the must and the skins. Once the fermentation process is complete, the wine is transferred to oak barrels for ageing for 18 months.

In the glass, Le Macchiole's 'Paleo' Rosso reveals a thick ruby red coat with purple highlights. Intense hints of blackberry, raspberry jam, liquorice and rosemary overlap on the nose, enriched by hints of white pepper, eucalyptus and sweet tobacco. Important and structured on the palate, where the warmth is perfectly tamed by the brilliant fresh-savoury verve that contributes to a taut and dynamic drinking experience. A dense but silky tannic texture accompanies the interminable balsamic and spicy finish.