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Masseto Vertical, 4th November 2024The Raffles London, Old War Office Building.
by John Stimpfig
Opportunities to taste verticals of Masseto are both rare and precious. So when an invitation to taste a range of vintages in London from 2021 back to the 1996 landed in my inbox from its owner, Lamberto Frescobaldi, and its new winemaker, Marco Balsimelli, my affirmative RSVP was by immediate return.
The last time I encountered a similar line up of wines from this Tuscan supermodel was in Shanghai in 2018. Since then, much has changed – at least in terms of the key personnel at Masseto. In particular, its high-performing estate director Axel Heinz left in 2023 to take the reins at Château Lascombes in Margaux. He was duly replaced earlier this year by the Italian-born oenologist Marco Balsimelli, who had lived and worked in Bordeaux for 17 years, most of which were spent working with Eric Boissenot. Meanwhile, the estate’s long-serving CEO Giovanni Geddes also retired in 2023 after decades of distinguished service and careful brand building. Significantly, Geddes also orchestrated the construction of Masseto’s sleek new bespoke cellar in 2018.
Masseto was famously brought to life by Lodovico Antinori some four decades ago. It emerged as a separate, seven hectare hillside parcel within the boundaries of his Ornellaia property (created in 1981). At that time, Lodovico’s consultant was the great André Tchelistcheff who identified the plot as ideal for Merlot, thanks to its blue clay soils.
Masseto’s early vintages (beginning in 1987) made an immediate impact. High quality and small production meant that it was both rarer, and pricier than Ornellaia. It quickly became a both darling of the market and a true collector’s item thanks, in part, to its ability to combine the elegance of Pomerol with the flamboyant richness of California.
The first winemaker was the Hungarian Tibor Gal. On his return to Hungary, he was replaced by the Bordeaux winemaker Thomas Duroux. By now, Michel Rolland had also joined the Masseto/Ornellaia team as its consultant, on Tchelistcheff’s retirement. Rolland still remains in post more than three decades later.
In 2005, Duroux departed for Château Palmer and was replaced by Axel Heinz who had previously worked on Bordeaux’s left bank at La Dominique. It was yet another highly successful appointment.
Masseto is not an easy wine to make for all sorts of reasons. In particular, it is a high-wire act that requires considerable skill, judgement and nerve in both the vineyard and winery. With Bolgheri’s hot summers and Merlot’s ability to ripen on the rich blue clay soils, there has always been the potential danger of high sugars and high alcohols. And certainly some over-extracted vintages in the early 2000s didn’t always get the balance 100% right between alcohol, phenolic ripeness and acidity.
Over the last dozen or so vintages that is no longer the case – despite the fact that climate change has made viticulture even more challenging. In 2018, Heinz explained why; ‘even in lush, ripe dense vintages, the finish remains fresh thanks to high acidity. This has to come from the soil, especially in hot dry years when you’d expect lower levels.’ It’s this that helps Masseto to carry its high alcohol so well – often effortlessly.
Over the last forty years, there have been innumerable experiments and incremental improvements in the vineyard. In 2012, it was converted to organic farming and for a number of years, the estate has also used bush vines which help maintain acidity and freshness in warmer vintages. These days, the estate is also entirely dry farmed. ‘Now, the work in the vines is mostly about fine-tuning small details,’ explains Lamberto Frescobaldi.
The winemaking has certainly changed considerably over time. In Tibor Gal’s day, the wine was aged for eighteen months in 50% new oak. These days it spends a full two years in new barriques. Yet, on the evidence of this tasting, you barely notice it - such is the power and concentration of the fruit. This is especially true of recent vintages where sublime fruit complexity, exquisite freshness and balance have become the new hallmarks of Masseto’s evolving style and constant search for perfection.
Marco Balsimelli is clearly set to continue this less is more approach in the vineyard and winery. ‘We try to do as little as possible to the wines,’ he says. ‘Our goal is simply to capture the essence of nature and take it to the highest level.’ That undoubtedly bodes well for Masseto and its loyal consumers.
John Stimpfig.
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Wine Notes:-
2021 Masseto, Toscana IGT
The 2021 shows the current stylistic trajectory of Masseto in the direction of finesse, elegance and precision -whilst optimising the bounty of its amazing raw material from what was a warm vintage in Bolgheri. The vintage was also a return to 100% Merlot after a couple of years of flirting with 15% Cabernet Franc in the blend. Fermentation took place in concrete vats before the wine was moved to new French oak barrels for the malolactic. The wine then spent a total of 24 months in barriques prior to a year in bottle before release.
Opaque, youthful colour with a gorgeous nose of primary red fruits and seductive floral perfume. Exquisitely balanced, fresh and glossy this offers lifted fruits of juicy cherry, cassis and raspberry together with minerals and cocoa powder. The bright acidity and refined tannins give this wine an almost ethereal weightless quality. But there is power here too that is so cleverly balanced, concealed and integrated that both the 15.5% alcohol and the oak treatment remain entirely hidden, except in the wine’s sublime mouthfeel. Utterly compelling with a long dry, saline finish, this is already deliciously drinkable and will age for aeons. Extraordinary.
ABV 15.5%
Drink 2024 -2070+
Bottle Price £666
100% Merlot
2016 Masseto, Toscana IGT
The 2016 Masseto comes from a textbook vintage on the Tuscan coast with harvest beginning on August 24 and ending September 20. Once picked plot by plot, the wine was vinified in the Ornellaia cellar where fermentation took place in a mix of stainless steel, wooden vats and in small barriques. The malolactic was carried out in 100% new French barriques and then aged for a further twelve months. All the lots were then blended and then returned to barriques for another 12 months elevage.
Still deep garnet. Impenetrable colour. Violets, blackcurrant and rosemary on the nose. Sweet, lifted cherry and blackberry fruits follow through on the palate with ink and liquorice. Again you find Masseto’s hallmark elegance with its impeccable balance and controlled, effortless power. A perfect marriage of fine acidity, fleshy tannic ripeness and structure this reveals layer upon layer of flavour, texture, complexity and pleasure ending with a monumental dry finish. The wine is now only just beginning to open up but this still has decades to go. Without question a great and magisterial Masseto.
ABV 15%
Drink 2024 -2060
Bottle Price £955
100% Merlot
2015 Masseto, Toscana IGT
Another very fine vintage in the Maremma that gave birth to another magnificent Masseto. The winter was mild and rainy allowing water reserves to build up. Flowering took place at the end of May which was followed by hot dry weather in June and July. Just as fears began to mount that the vines might shut down in the heat, the rains arrived right on cue on the 10th of August, revitalising the vines and heralding cooler but still sunny weather. As a result, the various blocks and parcels of vines were picked at perfect ripeness.
Nearly ten years on there is barely any concession to age in the deep colour of this wine, while the nose presents a lovely primary aroma of cream and cassis with a slight tertiary hint that is only just beginning to emerge. A more concentrated Masseto than the 16, this has a wilder, more Tuscan feel to it with flavours of dark cherry, bramble, liquorice, smoked meat, charcoal and tobacco pouch. A fine spine of acidity and grippy tannins frame the wine which finishes with a pronounced savoury flourish. This can be enjoyed now but will continue to age and improve over the next three to four decades.
ABV 14.5%
Drink 2024 -2064
Bottle Price £879
100% Merlot
2013 Masseto, Toscana IGT
A cool start to the vintage brought about a delayed and abnormally long flowering period at the estate. However, the grapes caught up in warmer weather especially in July. Some August storms cooled things down, refreshed the vines and led to a later harvest beginning on September 12 and ending two weeks later with the last block being Masseto Centrale.
Eleven years on the 2013 is in terrific shape, still energetically holding on to its profound primary fruits comprising blueberry and blackberry alongside leather, cedar and sandalwood. The tannins are ripe and round while the fresh acidity frames the midweight structure. Although less concentrated than some in this line-up, there’s no lack of texture, complexity or pleasure in this 2013 Masseto which ends on a high with a long dry, saline finish. Just hitting its stride, this is delicious now but it also has plenty of life and development to look forward to.
ABV 14.5%
Drink 2024 -2060
Bottle Price £736
100% Merlot
2010 Masseto, Toscana IGT
A distinctly warm hot summer in Bolgheri saw frequently hot days in July and August at over 35C with little respite at night. Strong scirocco winds from Africa at the end of August and the beginning of September also aided the rapid ripening process, resulting in one of the earliest harvests on record, ending on September 10.
The 09 Masseto speaks clearly of its winemaking era and vintage being overtly more hedonistic, fleshy and seductive than its younger siblings. The fruit and flavour spectrum is more evolved and exotic with smoked meat, kirsch, coffee grind, liquorice and leather followed by hints of sous-bois and dried fruit on the mid palate. The acidity is softer and the tannins are generous and supple. It has also moved into a more tertiary phase of its development which is not to take anything away from the pleasure, interest and complexity that is very much on show – now and for the next 10-20 years.
ABV 15%
Drink 2024 -2044
Bottle Price £781
100% Merlot
2006 Masseto, Toscana IGT
Fortunately, Bolgheri experienced a wet winter coming into 2006 – because from April to August the vines saw almost no rain. At the same time, those summer months were never too hot and the vines produced a good volume of smaller-sized grapes with great aromatic potential as well as high concentrations of sugars, acids and tannins. It promised to be a memorable Masseto.
And so it was – and remains. Indeed, the 2006 is showing less concession to age than the younger 09 (above) thanks to a vibrant charge of acidity that continues to hold the wine in an almost miraculous state of suspended animation. At nearly 20 years of age, this elegant Masseto is now in a very good place with a fabulous nose and palate offering a gorgeous compote of cherry, cassis, mocha, leather, rosemary and cigar box. The palate is refined, dry, savoury and complex. The fulsome tannins have evolved and softened to perfection and there is just a hint of emerging sous-bois bottle age to add spice and interest. The dry, savoury saline finish is monumental. Drink now and for the next forty years.
ABV 15%
Drink 2024 -2060
Bottle Price £1094
100% Merlot
2005 Masseto, Toscana IGT
After an early flowering in the third week of May, the summer months of June, July and August provided just the right amount of hot dry weather and occasional rainfall for the vines to flourish. At the end of August, preliminary analyses revealed encouragingly high polyphenols and good natural acidity. September kept things going with warm temperatures and occasional showers leading to a late harvest of optimally ripened grapes across all the plots. The vintage was finally completed on September 30.
On the evidence of this tasting, the 2005 has moved from its adolescence to a comfortable and sophisticated early middle age. Hence its classy and more-ish tertiary aromas of truffle and cep, both of which continue onto the palate. Also present in the mouth are sweet brambly black fruits, coffee, cedar and a slight ginger tang. It still retains a very pleasing acidity and round, textured tannins give the wine a balanced plushness and generosity. The finish is long and tapering.
ABV 15%
Drink 2024 -2045
Bottle Price £844
100% Merlot
1999 Masseto, Toscana IGT
The 1999 growing season provided very propitious conditions throughout and featured a hot, dry summer. Harvest began in the second week of September and finished a week later in ideal weather.
Remarkably, the 1999 retains a deep colour in the glass a quarter of a century on. The nose shows some concession to age with lovely mature notes of truffle, sous-bois and balsam as well as bilberry, cassis and chocolate. An elegant, more moderately proportioned Masseto, its fine grained tannins work in harmony with the acidity and the wine has a dry, chalky finish. Now at an especially good stage of maturity, this is drinking beautifully. Equally, it still has a good decade or more ahead of it.
ABV 14.5%
Drink 2024 -2040
Bottle Price £873
100% Merlot
1996 Masseto, Toscana IGT
During the summer temperatures were warm and stable but not excessively hot. Some August rain then delayed the ripening process a little. However, temperatures then rose significantly at the beginning of September enable the grapes to ripen and be picked in perfect conditions between the 8-12th of September.
In my tasting book, this gorgeous thoroughbred red was arguably the most complete and compelling wine of the tasting – especially when poured in magnum at dinner later in the evening. It possesses an utterly sublime, complex and beguiling nose of black olive, balsam, cep and truffle. The more classically styled and lighter (medium-bodied) palate was just as fabulous with savoury herbs, sous-bois, cigar box and ripe cassis and mocha. With its superb acidity and fleshy, melting tannins this had everything you could ask for from a truly great wine that is now at or approaching its peak over the next 10 years. If you are fortunate to have this in your cellar, you are truly blessed.
ABV 13.5%
Drink 2024 -2040+
Bottle Price £884
100% Merlot
Average, ex vat bottle prices are taken from Wine-searcher.com
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