Bolgheri, 09:18 A.M.
First produced in 1994, Messorio started as a personal challenge with one of the most planted varieties not only in Bolgheri, but across the Tuscan coast and throughout the world: Merlot. From the start, the idea was to take the best bunches and transform them into an impactful wine with a big personality, staying as far away as possible from the more soft, predictable style that is often associated with Merlot and instead making a thoroughbred eager to win the race. The name “Messorio” refers to the wheat harvest, one of the most fundamental parts of the agricultural cycle
The year began with a rainy winter that saw higher than average temperatures, which brought about a slow start to pruning. Temperatures rose slightly in spring, causing rapid budding of both Chardonnay and Merlot, which in turn exposed those two varieties to a higher risk of frost damage at the beginning of April, when temperatures dropped to near freezing overnight for two consecutive nights. Thankfully, there was no evident damage as a result. Thanks to the water reserves accumulated during the winter rains, the rising temperatures during the second half of April brought about a rapid vegetative growth and constant development of the vine shoots, which continued through the entire month of May. The summer had a classic, positive start, with a slight delay of flowering, fruit set, and veraison due to the spring frost; the season ended with a very dry period that continued through all of harvest. Harvest began during the third week of August, as it had in previous years, and continued through the end of September, which saw rainfall during the final phases of the Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon harvest. ->
Denomination: Toscana IGT
First Vintage: 1994
Grape varieties: 100% Merlot
Vineyards: Vignone 1999, Ulivino 2016
Training System: simple guyot
Yield: 800 gr per plant
Harvest period: 2nd and 3th week of September
Winemaking: fermentation and maceration for 20 days in concrete tanks
Aging: 16 months in new oak barrel and stoneware amphora
Bottling: August 17, 2022
