2020 Paleo Rosso

Proprietor Cinzia Merli, winemaker Luca Rettondini and their team turned out a sublime set of 2020s. Merli describes 2020 as warmer than 2019, especially in July, but with more moderate temperatures beginning in August through the end of harvest. ''in years like these, which are now common, we have learned we have to use a lighter hand in winemaking," Merli told me. "Two thousand-twenty was also the first year we used alternative aging vessels for a small amount of the wine, as we find 100% oak can be too much in a hot year," she added. In tasting, I was deeply impressed with the freshness and vibrancy of the 2020s. Farming and winemaking come down to making the right adjustments in critical times. Le Macchiole certainly seems to have done that in 2020.