Bolgheri, 10:03 A.M.
Le Macchiole doesn’t just produce great reds; in fact, Paleo’s alter ego, Paleo Bianco, hit the scene in 1991. It is produced in extremely small quantities, made with Chardonnay and a bit of Sauvignon Blanc. Its strong Mediterranean character boasts equal parts intensity, flavor, and depth. This is a wine that surprises, especially in terms of its ability to age.
The year began with a rainy winter that saw higher than average temperatures, which brought about a slow start to pruning. Temperatures rose slightly in spring, causing rapid budding of both Chardonnay and Merlot, which in turn exposed those two varieties to a higher risk of frost damage at the beginning of April, when temperatures dropped to near freezing overnight for two consecutive nights. Thankfully, there was no evident damage as a result. Thanks to the water reserves accumulated during the winter rains, the rising temperatures during the second half of April brought about a rapid vegetative growth and constant development of the vine shoots, which continued through the entire month of May. The summer had a classic, positive start, with a slight delay of flowering, fruit set, and veraison due to the spring frost; the season ended with a very dry period that continued through all of harvest. Harvest began during the third week of August, as it had in previous years, and continued through the end of September, which saw rainfall during the final phases of the Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon harvest. ->
Denomination: Toscana IGT
First Vintage: 1991
Grape varieties: 70% Chardonnay, 30% Sauvignon Blanc
Vineyards: Casa Nuova 2009, Ulivino 2016
Training System: simple guyot
Yield: 1200 gr per plant
Harvest period: 3rd week of August
Winemaking: 10 days in oak barrel
Aging: 8 months, 10% in new oak barrel, 70% in second, third and fourth passage barrel and tonneaux, 20% steel tank
Bottling: May 10, 2022
