Il Macchione


The story of Il Macchione is one of different owners. In the 1980s Swiss dentist and wine enthusiast Robert Kengelbacher was looking for an estate to make his own, and fell in love with Il Macchione. Not only was the location in the Caggiole Valley lovely, and within reach of Montepulciano, it was also great for winemaking; well-drained hillsides with marine fossils and sandstone give Sangiovese wines of intense perfume and character. Over the following years, he aimed to make a wine to satisfy his exacting expectations, and Il Macchione acquired an international profile.

Mission accomplished and retirement looming, in 2007 he decided to hang up his secateurs. Enter the north Italian brothers Leonardo and Simone Abram. They been scouring Tuscany and beyond for an estate to dedicate themselves to, and came upon Il Macchione at just the right moment. They were not shy about making changes. The first thing they did was rip out the Merlot vines. Appellation rules demand at least 70% Sangiovese, while any balance can be made up from other local varieties or, more recently, international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Syrah. But latterly there have been concerns that the use of international varieties has resulted in wines that are less recognizably Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Under Simone and Leonardo, Il Macchione is now 100% Prugnolo Gentile, the local Sangiovese clone. Converting the estate to biodynamics was a longer-term project, but they entirely believe the effort has been worth it. (NT 16/01/18)

There are currently no wines for this area.