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.
A winter with temperatures in the seasonal average range, rainfall which continued throughout the spring period and budbreak slightly late as compared with the previous year because of the below-average temperatures. The abundance of water and moisture in the soil, which had suffered from the previous year’s drought, and the rising of temperatures in early May caused the buds to burst and grow quickly. The winter and spring rainfall and the high amount of humidity in the air contributed to a rapid growth of the plants, preventing the air circulation from reaching the foliage and, thus, creating the ideal conditions for the downy mildew to attack the vines and requiring an attentive and intense work on the plants to contain the disease. During the summer period, the soil was worked frequently and carefully in order to control excess soil moisture. In addition, the vines were frequently topped, allowing for more air circulation to reach the foliage. In mid-July, green harvesting was performed, lessening the overall fruit load and improving the quality of that which remained. Harvesting began on schedule, in step with the “ordinary” vintages, starting with the white grapes harvested over the third week of August and ending on the third and fourth week of September with the Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties, all of good and excellent quality.
Denomination: Toscana IGT
First Vintage: 1991
Grape varieties: Chardonnay 80%, Sauvignon Blanc 20%
Vineyards: Casa Nuova 2009
Training System: guyot
Yield: 1200 gr per plant
Harvest period: 3rd week of August
Winemaking: 10 days in oak barriques
Aging: 7 months, 20% in new oak barriques and tonneaux, 80% in 2nd, 3rd and 4th - use barriques and tonneaux
Bottling: April 18, 2019
