Messorio 1998 Le Macchiole

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Robert Parker (96)

The 1998 is a bit of an anomalous Messorio for several reasons. For the first time the wine was aged in small 122-liter cigarillos. The estate also performed more leaf thinning than was the norm at the time. Those two decisions, coupled with a warm vintage, resulted in an opulent, port-like Messorio that stands out from every other vintage before or since. The 1998 takes some time in the glass for the bouquet to find its center. Super-ripe blueberries, blackberries, tar, licorice and smoke are just some of the nuances that flow from the sweet, textured 1998. According to Cinzia Merli, the 1998 is a vintage her late husband Eugenio adored. The 1998 expresses a style of experimentation in viticulture and winemaking that was in vogue in Italy in the late 1990s. While a notable achievement for its time, in retrospect the 1998 comes across as overdone when tasted in context of the vintages that preceded and succeeded it.

Winespectator (94)

Like a California cult wine. Loads of vanilla and coconut aromas, with ripe fruit underneath. Full-bodied, with masses of raspberry and cherry flavors, round and silky tannins and a long, fruity, vanilla finish. Super wine. Merlot.