Le Macchiole : Paleo 2020

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.

Precise, with herb and bell pepper accents to the black currant, black olive, iron and tobacco flavors. Shows underlying vanilla and spice elements from the discrete use of new oak, playing out on the long finish with harmony and finesse. Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2040. 2,120 cases made, 160 cases imported.

Produced since 1989 but 100% Cabernet Franc since 2001, Paleo is the forefather of all other single-varietal Cabernet Franc bottlings in Bolgheri. Today, it is aged for 16 months in both new French oak and gres amphora. Its aroma is an intoxicating combination of leafy and cedar wood scents saturated with vibrant graphite minerality, citrus and liquorice depth. This is supported by huge extraction and power on the palate, with firm, oaky tannins and a graphite aftertaste of astonishing elegance.

Lots of black berries and black olives with currants and rosemary. Full-bodied, chewy and rich with intense tannins and a long and powerful finish. Muscular and toned. A little old school. Drink after 2028.

Cabernet Franc. A small percentage of amphorae was introduced in this vintage for the first time, for freshness. Not as open on the nose as the 2019 but still clearly Cabernet Franc. This does have more tension and freshness, though with less obvious herbaceous character. Firm, vibrant and needs a little more time. (JH)

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.

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.

100% Cabernet Franc. From 30- to 35-year-old vines. A rich bouquet, defined by iron-like nuances that merge with ethereal, medicinal notes to create a recognizable signature. Tobacco, fir wood and dark herbs shape the refined expression of this top wine. On the palate, gripping with an elegant structure; intensely spicy and expressive yet remaining fine—an authentic spice extravaganza of exotic spices, cardamom, clove and lightly smoky pepper varieties. Cabernet Franc at its finest, endlessly saline and appetizingly piquant on the finish. A real showstopper.

The 2020 Le Macchiole Paleo had been bottled for only 20 days when I tasted it in September 2022, and it was brimming with youthful exuberance and charm. It has an inky, opaque color with a youthful purple rim. The nose is tightly controlled yet joyful and immediate, packed with vivid cassis and black raspberry, wrapped in gentle, creamy oak. According to the team at Le Macchiole, 2020 was one of the hottest vintages in recent years, but this 2020 shows attractive drinkability and finesse.

A riot of pepper lights up the nose, from cracked black to green peppercorn to hot chili. Flint and leather undertones empower the heat, while aromas of raspberry jam and vanilla provide balance. The palate stays spicy, with snappy, confident acidity, but a sweetness lingers, and a finish of chili and chocolate ties everything together. Transcendent. Drink 2030–2040 or beyond.