MESSORIO

2016 Le Macchiole

EN PRIMEUR

Dense and concentrated, featuring ripe blackberry and black cherry flavors. Serious tannins add structure, as does the lively acidity. All the elements cascade through the long, saturated finish, where iron, tobacco and herb notes emerge. The oak is well-integrated, and this is racy in the end. Merlot. Best from 2021 through 2038. From Italy. Rating: 96 Bruce Sanderson, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2021)

In Bond

75cl bottles (case of 6)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

Nutty oak over brooding, sweet, red fruit. Lots of juice and firm tannins on the palate, but sensationally balanced. This perfection comes at a price, though. Drinking range: 2020 - 2030 Rating: 17.5 Walter Speller, www.jancisrobinson.com (Apr 2020)

With the 2016 Messorio, Le Macchiole moves from a wine of unctuous power to one of total refinement. Aromatic, translucent and striking in its nuance, the 2016 is flat out stunning. The flavors are fresh, vibrant and beautifully delineated. More than anything else, through the 2016 shows the present-day Macchiole style off to great effect. Another year in bottle has done wonders for the Messorio, which is even more arresting in its beauty today than it was last year. Drinking range: 2024 - 2041 Rating: 97 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Mar 2020)

This expression of Merlot is explosive and profound. The 2016 Messorio presents an absolute textbook rendition of Merlot that can be read and appreciated in terms of the layering and overlapping textures of the wine as it rolls over the palate. There is a point of sweetness on the palate, and the wine also shows a bright point of acidity that makes for a great balancing act. I tasted this wine twice, and at my first tasting, I tried it next to the 2015 vintage, thus putting me in a better position to directly compare the two. Whereas the 2015 edition came off as more velvety and soft, the 2016 vintage displays exceptionally crafted precision. This is an incredible wine. Fermentation occurs in cement vats, and the wine goes into barrique for 19 months. Some 11,000 bottles were made. Drinking range: 2022 - 2045 Rating: 99 Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate (www.robertparker.com) (May 2019)

A layered and rich red with currant and berry character plus lots of oyster shell. Shows balance and strength. Full, tannic yet polished. Shows excellent potential. 100% merlot. Rating: 95-96 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Oct 2017)

Initially put onto the wine map by Eugenio Campolmi in 1983, the Le Macchiole estate has been run by his wife Cinzia since 2002. In the heart of Bolgheri, with 22 hectares of vineyard over much of the best soils of the region these are, along with the Sassicaia and Ornellaia's vineyards, also among the oldest and most established vines in Bolgheri. Their careful selection of grape varieties and cultivation techniques according to climate and soil has led them to concentrate on Merlot, Syrah and most importantly Cabernet Franc, a variety which can express itself so well in the hands of Le Macchiole.

All of their wines are marked by a unique and unmistakable character. Full bodied wines, and yet with clean and elegant flavours, leading to great freshness and finesse, they are incredibly sought after world-wide. The estate has been organic since 2002, and they are experimenting with biodynamics.

ORDERING VIA OUR WEBSITE:

  • Click on the 'ORDER' button to add cases to your Wishlist order form. The Wishlist appears in both the sidebar and header (separately from the main basket).
  • You can view and edit your Wishlist at any time before submitting the order form.
  • Submit your Wishlist order form with your details and please indicate any special requirements in the notes, including whether you would like the wines duty paid.
  • We will respond as quickly as possible with confirmation of your order and your invoice.

Please note that certain wines are on very tight allocations and will first be offered to customers who buy across the range. If you have any queries, please email our primeurs team or speak to your usual L&S contact.

ORDERING VIA EMAIL:

Please feel free to email us your Wishlist at any time. This list can include wines listed as available on the website, as well as those marked 'To Be Advised'. We will reply as soon as possible with confirmation of what we can offer.

STORAGE OPTIONS:

Wines bought en primeur are scheduled to arrive in the UK over the course of the next eighteen months. If you do not wish to take home delivery, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our primeurs team for more information.

While helpful, we do not require a firm commitment on delivery destination to process your primeur order at this stage. Our team will be in contact with you when your wines arrive in the UK to confirm the necessary delivery details.

LE MACCHIOLE FAQ

OFFER: All wines are offered subject to availability and final confirmation.

PRICING: All prices are quoted IN BOND ex-VAT, by the case size stated. Please double check that the desired case size does match what is being offered as wines are variously listed in threes, sixes, dozens, halves and larger formats.

DELIVERY - TIMING: This is a primeur offer so the wines are not yet physically available for delivery. They will be shipped to the UK over the next eighteen months. Generally wines are shipped to your nominated location once the whole order has landed in our London City Bond account. If you require wines to be delivered by a certain date, please advise us at the time of ordering. We do not anticipate any problems but please be aware that delays to delivery may occur should Britain's possible departure from the European Union result in additional border customs checks or other regulatory requirements. Any additional or unforeseen duties, tariffs, charges or other financial liabilities relating to 'Brexit' must be due to the customer and will be added to orders as required.

DELIVERY - FEES: In bond delivery to an Elephant Storage account (for more information see 'Storage Options' opposite) is free of charge. Transfer of wines to any third party bond (i.e. not Elephant Storage) will incur an administration charge of £16.50 + VAT for all orders under £1,000. If you require wines duty paid, please indicate this in your Wishlist order form. A duty & VAT invoice will be raised once all the wines on your order are available for shipment. Once the relevant duty & VAT has been settled, we will ship the wines to your nominated address as per our normal duty paid Delivery Terms.

PAYMENT: All orders will be invoiced for immediate payment by cheque, cash, debit card or cleared funds to our account. We regret that we cannot accept credit cards for primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.