75cl
Le Macchiole Messorio 2020
Vendor code : 1230
Le Macchiole's Messorio Merlot is one of Tuscany's most coveted wines, and with good reason. Over the years, Messorio has established an impressive track record, showcasing the exceptional aging potential of Merlot from Bolgheri. This wine consistently develops remarkable depth in the bottle, evolving to reveal a distinct personality and an intimate character unique to the region. Older vintages reach magnificent peaks of expression, cementing Messorio's reputation as a benchmark for Bolgheri Merlot.
Color
Red
Fortress
14,5%
Country
Italy
Region
Tuscany
Grape
Merlot
Producer
Le Macchiole
Vintage
2020
Not available
The 2020 Messorio exemplifies a world-class Merlot from warmer regions, offering textbook aromas of ripe blackberries, blueberries, coffee, cocoa, and violets. On the palate, it delivers pure, deep notes of blackcurrant and delicately smoky plum. This is one of the finest young Messorios we have ever tasted. For the first time, this vintage utilized alternative containers to age small quantities of wine, as Cinzia Merli and Luca Rettondini believe that 100% oak aging can be too intense in a hot year. As a result, the hallmark of Messorio in this warm vintage is its remarkable freshness and vigor. Recommended for consumption between 2025 and 2048.
Le Macchiole owner Cinzia Merli, winemaker Luca Rettondini, and their team have crafted an impressive lineup of 2020 wines. Merli describes 2020 as a warmer year than 2019, particularly in July, but with more moderate temperatures from August through the end of the harvest. "In years like this, which have become more common, we realized we needed to be more delicate in winemaking," says Merli. "2020 is also the first time we used alternative tanks to age small quantities of wine, as we believe 100% oak ageing can be overkill in a warm year," she added. The 2020 wines are notably fresh and energetic. Successful farming and winemaking often depend on making the right adjustments at critical moments, and Le Macchiole seems to have excelled in doing that in 2020. First produced in 1994, Messorio began as a personal challenge involving one of the most widely cultivated varieties, not only in Bolgheri but also along the Tuscan coast and around the world: Merlot. From the outset, the goal was to take the best bunches and transform them into a wine of great personality, avoiding the softer, more predictable style often associated with Merlot, and instead creating a thoroughbred that strives to win the race. The name ‘Messorio’ refers to the wheat harvest, one of the most important parts of the agricultural cycle. The 2020 Messorio is a Toscana IGT. Vineyards: Vignone (1999), Ulivino (2016). Winemaking: Fermentation and maceration for 20 days in concrete tanks. Ageing: 16 months in new oak barrels and stone amphorae. Bottling: 17 August 2022.
Reviews from critics
98/100
5 points
95-100
5
90-94
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85-89
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80-84
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75-79
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0-74
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