2020 Rosso di Montepulciano Petaso

The wines at Montemercurio have always had an international and modern sheen, yet change is afoot. My visit this year included a seven-vintage vertical of the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Damo, going back to 2007. The Damo is only made in selected vintages and sourced from their oldest vineyard, planted in 1962. It was both educational and eye-opening, especially to see how the style and preferences of the winery have changed over time. Going back, it quickly became apparent that Damo was produced in warm vintages as we worked through 2007, 2011, 2012 and 2015. In more recent years, that has changed, with the current vintage of 2016 and an early peek at 2019, which will not be released for another three or four years. Even more exciting to taste was the 2019 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Messaggero. This wine puts the radiance and power of the vintage on full display, neatly complemented by Montemercurio’s elegant style. While the winery produces single-vineyard bottles, they currently have no plans to participate in the Pieve designation.