Le Macchiole
Scrio 2016
Bolgheri DOC
Scrio was first produced in 1994. Le Macchiole founder Eugenio Campolmi created it because he wanted to produce a wine that would best express his vision of Syrah, his favorite grape variety. Scrio has an original personality and stands apart from Syrah grown in France or anywhere else – it is an extraordinarily compelling meld of deep and velvety Mediterranean fruit with cool climate aromatics and detail. Given the extremely limited production, Scrio is decidedly a hidden gem.
“Scrio” is a Tuscan word that translates to pure, genuine, and honest. It is usually used to refer to people who are pure of heart.
VINEYARD
Scrio is sourced from two vineyards, Puntone and Madonnina, and has extremely restricted yields due to low vigor plants and green harvesting.
WINEMAKING
Following a 20-day maceration in stainless steel, Scrio matures for 12 months in oak barrels (75% new, 25% second passage). It is then further aged for 21 months in bottle before release. Approximately 5,000 bottles are produced each vintage.
VINTAGE
2016 was definitely one of the smoothest years of the past decade. The season passed with no extreme weather conditions at all and the rain seemed to fall when the vines most needed it: abundant in March, normal in May and June, heavy in late July and warm and sunny weather from August to mid-September. Optimum temperatures as well: a mild late winter season which was cause for concern, but then the basically cool spring slowed down the plants growth cycle that benefited from the warm but not scorching summer, with large night-day temperature swings.
Vineyard canopy management aimed at lightening the foliage by removing the secondary shoots if necessary and extending the non-topped areas by performing the so-called accapannatura (long shoots twisted on the top wires) to leave the plant free to grow while preventing the excessive production of side shoots.
The soils were repeatedly worked to balance the heat/humidity relationship in order to make the flowering and berry set stages easier. The growth of the bunches proceeded at a regular pace, the production was excellent and the ripeness perfect.
TASTING NOTE
An opulent nose that shows plum cake, blueberry muffins, dark chocolate, mocha, coffee, plum liqueur and hot stones. However, there just the right amount of freshness with thyme, violets and cedar. Full body, very chewy tannins and a long, decadent finish. Very intense, but it still shows form and tension.
-James Suckling
Color
Red
Grape Varieties
Syrah
Appellation
Bolgheri DOC
Suggested Retail Price
$175.00
Reviews
"Well balanced, with fresh acidity"
Wine Enthusiast - August 20, 2021 "Cedar, cassis, camphor and French oak aromas lead the nose on this 100% Syrah. The full-bodied palate features ripe blackberry, raspberry jam, dark exotic spice, dried mint and espresso alongside tightly-knit fine-grained tannins. It's well balanced, with fresh acidity that lifts the licorice close."
"Ferrous minerality and grippy tannins"
Wine & Spirits Magazine - August 20, 2021 "With scents of fresh violets and crushed black peppercorns, this pure syrah is reminiscent of a great Cornas. Its juicy plum and blackberry flavors take on notes of licorice and black spice with air, while ferrous minerality and grippy tannins give it the savor and structure for grilled game." - S.J.
"Strikes such a fine balance between power and finesse"
James Suckling - February 11, 2020 "This is another magical edition of Scrio; the crazy peppermint, rosemary, cypress and oregano perfumes should be enough to prove that. But then comes gravitas, in the form of pure blackcurrants and blackberries with graphite. Hints of dried meat. This strikes such a fine balance between power and finesse, wrapping up beautifully polished tannins and blue fruit in a velvet extravaganza of flavor and depth. This doesn’t have quite the muscularity as the legendary 2015, but, boy, does it deliver! Drink in 2023 and well beyond that."
"Very precise, beautiful and detailed expression"
Wine Advocate (96+) - February 11, 2020 "The 2016 Scrio is a fruitier Syrah than the 2015, which was more about the pepper and the savory spice. The 2015 was broader, while this wine is more linear and classic. It boasts more depth and brings a lot of earthy tones, and it's generally a much more vertical wine than the 2015. This is a very precise, beautiful and detailed expression of Syrah that shows a very generous disposition overall. In fact, this wine harnesses the exuberant abundance of the grape and channels it with extreme elegance. Some 3,900 bottles were made."
"Textural finesse is truly remarkable"
Vinous - February 11, 2020 "The 2016 Scrio (Syrah) is another stellar wine from Le Macchiole. Today, it is the extraordinary purity of the fruit that makes the deepest impression. More typically varietal Syrah notes need time in bottle to be fully expressive, but the wine's textural finesse is truly remarkable. Dense and resonant, the 2016 also remains light on its feet. I can't wait to taste it in another few years' time."
Reviews
Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
Paleo Bianco
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First produced in 1991, Paleo Bianco is a silky, mineral-driven blend of Chardonnay (90%) and Sauvignon Blanc (10%). Perfect for pairing with seafood, this white is well suited to a medium to long aging in bottle.
Bolgheri Rosso
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Bolgheri Rosso is a refined, irresistible blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah, serving as an introduction to the estate. The wine is, frankly, almost too good at the price. All the intensive artisanal work that Le Macchiole carries out in its vineyards and cellars benefits this wine, and despite more availability than its Paleo Rosso, Messorio and Scrio siblings, it sells out nearly as quickly.
Messorio
Toscana IGT
Messorio, a Merlot monovarietal, is the winery’s crown jewel. Its initial vintage was 1994, and since then it has received extraordinary acclaim, including a 100-point score from the Wine Spectator for the 2004 vintage. The name Messorio refers to the ancient Tuscan practice of wheat harvesting, the most important time of the year in the Bolgheri countryside - once it referred to wheat; these days, it is all about grape harvesting.
Paleo Rosso
Toscana IGT
Paleo Rosso has been called Italy's landmark expression of Cabernet Franc. This grape variety is growing internationally as a distinct bottling, but Bolgheri has proven to be the single best place in the world to do so. The Mediterranean climate and surroundings result in a wine of extraordinarily expressive, sensual, and textural fruits and savory spices.