One of the icon wines of southern Italy, the 2018 Pàtrimo sources its fruit from 90- to 95-year-old vines. This plot became recognized as a single vineyard in 1999, and previous to that date, Merlot was hardly found or allowed in local winemaking tradition. This vintage prizes elegance and fine nuances of blackcurrant, plum and dried herb. The wine ages in medium-toast barrique for 18 months. Harvest in this spot was late, coming on October 1st, despite the early-ripening characteristics of Merlot. The site is exposed to lots of rain, and going forward, the estate is abandoning the lower elevation rows in favor of the highest parts of the cru. Some 8,000 bottles were released.

I've been focused on bottle weight and the repercussions that all that heavy glass has on our environment and our efforts for greater sustainability. This is one of the heaviest bottles I encounter each year (evidently made with a special mold), so I feel it's time to call it out in the hope that this wine can become a role model for others. Looking at the liquid contents inside the bottle, the Feudi di San Gregorio 2017 Pàtrimo pours forth with a beautifully velvety and saturated appearance. This pure Merlot shows an unexpected bouquet with notes of green curry leaf and rosemary with cherry confit and pressed blackberries. This hot-vintage red is abundant and richly layered.

I tasted this wine twice over the course of six months, in advance of its commercial release. The 2016 Pàtrimo is quite a wine and needs all the extra bottle time it can get. Indeed, I would suggest putting it at the back of your cellar for another 5 years (at least). It opens to a black and impenetrable appearance. This is an elaborate and beautifully constructed wine that is put together piece by piece like a jigsaw puzzle. When viewed as a whole, all those tiny pieces create a beautiful portrait of a grape as the protagonist and of a region as its context. This full-bodied Merlot has made important strides since I first tasted it. Today, it is more expansive and exuberant. It shows lots of volume and depth with elegance and finesse.

This is a proud protagonist of Vino Italiano. The 2015 Pàtrimo is a unique expression of Merlot that merits special attention in this excellent vintage. This is one of the finest editions ever produced, and I say that based on the extreme richness, complexity and finesse that unwraps before your eyes and taste buds. Make no mistake, this is a Big wine with a capital B. Its aromas of blackberry, spice and dark leather are delivered with super-sized exuberance and opulence. The mouthfeel is richly developed and centered. The mouthfeel needs to flesh out further. This is a bottle to put at the back of your cellar.

The 2014 Pàtrimo has all its cards in place, but delivers them in a slightly more subdued and underhanded style. This vintage does not portray the exuberance and the depth that you get with this wine in 2010 or 2013. Instead, it offers a steady flow of dark fruit flavors with spice, leather, smoked bacon and dark chocolate. There are pretty notes of ash or dark mineral at the back. The mouthfeel does a good job of capturing the soft and velvety side of Merlot. The wine needs a few more years of bottle aging in order to achieve a more profound sense of integration and complexity.