2001 Le Macchiole Merlot Messorio

The 2001 Messorio is virtually impossible to fully appreciate in this setting because it is so many years away from maturity. The fruit is breathtaking in its beauty but remains quite primary, with only the subtlest hints of early tertiary nuance coming through from time to time.  The finish is exceptionally polished, nuanced and silky. The 2001 is tough to resist today, but it will be even better in a few years' time.

Amazingly, the 2001 Messorio (100% Merlot) reached an even higher level of profoundness. Blessed with a super-finessed nose and layers of dark, jammy, plum, mineral and toasted oak that slowly opened in the glass, it displayed extraordinary purity in its ample, generous expression of Merlot from Bolgheri. It was a phenomenal wine in every way.

This was a cooler year on Coastal Tuscany and the 2001 Messorio shows the signs of a slower and more prolonged evolution. The summer months were slightly cooler than average with more evident diurnal shifts towards the end of the growing season that helped to amplify the wine’s dark fruit aromas and its beautiful sense of grace and balanced power. A deep freeze during spring months naturally reduced yields in the vineyards. The wine’s slow and steady bottle evolution has established profound depth and silky persistence. The bouquet is highly distinctive thanks to the mineral notes and a touch of delicate herb (that reminded me of green clover) that lifts so delicately from the wine’s darkened core. The tannins are smooth and beautifully polished. Oct 2016, www.robertparker.com