Messorio, Le Macchiole 2000

The 2000 Messorio shows off wonderful inner perfume in its ripe, dark cherries, grilled herbs, leather, licorice and espresso. The 2000 is just a touch more forward in its aromas and flavors than in its tannins, as it remains powerful, intense and tightly coiled. It is a big, fruit-driven wine in the style of the 1997, but with perhaps a touch more polish. The 2000 needs another two to three years before it enters the early part of its drinking window. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.

Here’s a great start to this vertical of one of Italy’s most celebrated Merlots. The 2000 Messorio occupies a perfect place in its evolution with just enough fruit at its core to feel alive. It also shows sophisticated tertiary notes that underline its pedigree and evolution. It is profoundly beautiful in its current drinking phase. From this vintage up until 2007, smaller oak vessels were used. The percentage of new oak is tweaked according to the vintage but the updated incarnation of the wine sees anywhere up to 70% new oak. The 2000 vintage was a hot one and considerable canopy management was implemented to protect the fruit from sunburn. Dark fruit and plum is enhanced by ground espresso, candied orange, toasted almond and dusty mineral notes.