Winemaker Dinner with Le Macchiole

A dinner with Le Macchiole - Bolgheri

Eugenio Campolmi began Le Macchiole in the 1970s as a small family estate on the sandy plains of Bolgheri, at a time when the area was known for little beyond a scattering of vines and the odd holiday home. Alongside his wife Cinzia Merli, he set about proving that this unlikely corner of the Tuscan coast could produce world-class wine, planting international varieties long before it was fashionable to do so.

The gamble paid off spectacularly. Through the 1990s, Le Macchiole released a trio of single-varietal wines - Paleo (Cabernet Franc), Messorio (Merlot) and Scrio (Syrah) - each one considered a first of its kind in the region, and each helping to cement Bolgheri's reputation on the world stage alongside neighbours like Sassicaia and Ornellaia.

Eugenio died suddenly in 2002, and Cinzia has run the estate ever since, continuing his work and moving the vineyards towards organic and biodynamic practices. Today Le Macchiole remains a relatively small, family-run producer, tucked among the pines and vineyards of Bolgheri, still making some of the most sought-after wines on the Tuscan coast.

Join us for a special evening, hosted by the fantastic Gianluca Potzolu (head of commercial sales at Le Macchiole), in the beautiful surroundings of Claro restaurant, St. James. We'll take a tour through the Le Macchiole range, tasting the estate's celebrated single-varietal wines - showing the range and pedigree of this remarkable Bolgheri producer.

'At Claro, which serves food best described as eastern Mediterranean with Middle Eastern influences, I thrilled to some of the best dishes I have eaten this year, many of them plant-based. The cooking is smart, at times complex but most of all delicious.' – Jay Rayner, Guardian – Dec 2024

Menu - £195//head

A three course sharing meal (dishes to be confirmed shortly - below is illustative) will be served to complement the wines:

Grower Champagne on arrival

Appetisers
Frena bread (v) Matbucha, labneh, harissa, olives

Starters
Yellowtail sashimi (n) Freekeh tabbouleh, yoghurt, pomegranate, pistachios, tomato salsa
Fresh market vegetable salad (v, gf) Feta cheese, spicy green peppers, olive oil, lemon
Slow cooked salsify (v, n) Skordalia cream, feta cheese, roasted onion
Venison tartare Caesar sauce, pickled apple, fried frena bread

Primi
Smoked pink trout (gf) Potato salad, green beans, spring onion, white horseradish sauce
Freekeh gnocchi alla romana (v) Wild mushrooms, sour cream, pecorino
Lettuce Salad (vg, n, gf) Mustard & oregano vinaigrette, roasted walnuts in garlic 

Secondi
Sirloin on the bone (gf) Jacket potato, bone marrow, demi-glace
Potato pavé (v) black pepper, aioli, parmesean
Grilled pickled hispi cabbage (vg, n) skordalia cream, gremolata, chilli oil

2023 Le Macchiole Bolgheri Rosso

2020 Le Macchiole Paleo Rosso

2022 Le Macchiole Paleo Blanco

2020 Le Macchiole Scrio

2019 Le Macchiole Messorio 

Plus a library vintage Messorio