Le Macchiole Messorio 2020

Le Macchiole Messorio 2020, Merlot di Bolgheri

I recommend Messorio for its identity built entirely around Merlot and its close link to two plots in Bolgheri. This 2020 vintage, classified IGP Toscana, follows a precise winemaking process, from fermentation to aging in French oak. The available information gives no detailed notes on its color, nose or palate: I'd rather tell you that than invent a tasting.

Two plots, a careful approach to terroir

Le Macchiole is located in Bolgheri, one of Italy's important wine zones. Founded in the early 1980s, the estate gradually adopted organic farming. Messorio is made from Merlot sourced from two plots: Puntone, planted in 1994, and Vignone, planted in 1999. The name of the wine evokes the harvest, an essential moment of the agricultural year, and its first production dates back to 1994.

The vines are trained as Guyot or double Royat cordon, with short pruning. The stated yields are low, around 800 grams per vine, reflecting a pursuit of concentration and balance in the grapes. The harvest generally takes place during the first two weeks of September, when the fruit reaches optimal ripeness. For the 2020 vintage, the information provided confirms the Merlot, the IGP Toscana origin and organic cultivation, without specifying any further particular conditions of the year.

Fermentation and maceration last about 25 days. They take place partly in cement tanks and partly in stainless steel tanks, before aging in new French oak barrels. The data sheet indicates 18 months of barrel aging; the detailed description of the process mentions a duration of 18 to 24 months. On the tasting side, the source describes the wine as a red aged in wood and mentions a strong personality, but does not describe a specific color, aromas or sensations on the palate. To approach it, you can therefore rely on its grape variety, its origin and its aging, without taking an undocumented tasting note for granted.

At the table, with dishes of character

The suggested pairings are red meats and game. I imagine it at the table alongside a roast meat or a game dish, where its oak aging and Merlot profile can accompany generous cooking. Serve it at a meal where you can take the time to discover it, rather than trying to assign it precise aromas before you have tasted it. If you enjoy single-varietal Bolgheri reds, Messorio 2020 deserves a place on your list: a cuvée tied to identified plots, carefully crafted, and whose expression is best explored directly in the glass.