The relatively cool climate of 2010 yielded a wine that is remarkably elegant and with superb, complex aromatics.
To open a bottle is to unleash a liquid kaleidoscope. A rare combination of sumptuous opulence and polished elegance. As a tribute to its rugged force, its softness, and the debt it owes to the soil from which it rises, Masseto was named after the rock-hard clusters of blue clay called ‘massi’ that form on the vineyard’s surface.
On Italy’s Tuscan coast, overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, where the ancient Greeks believed the four divine winds of the god Aeolus met, Masseto sits in a protective sweep of the Bolgheri hills.
98 Point Galloni Vinous.
98 Points Jane Anson
96+Robert Parker
97 Point Wine Spectator
99 Points James Suckling
The 2010 growing season will be remembered for being one of the latest in recent years. From bud break on, in fact, the growth stages were some 10 days behind average, and that slow pace continued through to the harvest.
A rainy spring was followed by a hot, dry summer, which favoured optimal development of the clusters. A few rain showers interrupted the harvest in September, but adequate dry, sunny periods allowed the fruit to fully ripen. Painstaking vineyard management, and careful leaf-pulling in particular, ensured that the grapes were sound and healthy. Cool nights encouraged fine development of aromatic compounds, with the grapes displaying remarkably crisp fruit and floral qualities. Harvest started on 14th September and was concluded on 4th October yielding a total of five different lots.
Around the vineyard grows a wild profusion of Mediterranean maritime umbrella pines, groves of gnarled olive trees and ‘macchia’, that typically Tuscan blend of shrubs and bushes. Our winemaking philosophy is more about accompanying rather than forcing things.
The vines of Masseto seem to be continuously struggling with the elements. Such a place must be carefully managed by man’s hand, to sustain it without adding any further stress. In the winery, minimum intervention is the keyword. The extraordinarily concentrated grapes need no sophisticated winemaking but simple operations.
Pairing Suggestions: A perfect wine to pair with roasts, fatty meats, aged cheeses and savory pasta dishes.
Maturation: This growing season’s climate trends challenged us to be focused and diligent both in the vineyards during harvesting activities and when grapes were brought to the cellar where sorting operations and initial winemaking processes were essential to achieve optimal results. During fermentation in truncated conical tanks, each individual must was macerated on the skins giving particular emphasis to preserving aromas, extracting color, and encouraging desirable tannins that were supple and elegant. Racking was performed after rigorous daily sampling and tasting. Once separated from the skins, the wine was transferred into small oak barrels where it underwent malolactic fermentation to accentuate aromatic finesse and complexity. Aging took place in French and Hungarian oak barrels, partly new and partly second passage, for a total of 15 months: after an initial period of aging the lots separately, they were blended then completed barrel aging. Tignanello, made primarily with Sangiovese and a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, underwent an additional 12-month period of aging in the bottle before being released.
