1996 | Masseto | Toscana

Full, dark ruby. Very ripe, sweet plum and red berry aromas, along with harmonious oak notes of smoke and vanilla. Quite silky on the palate but not at the expense of its concentration and structure.

Reviews:

• Decanter: Tasted from a double magnum, this 1996 (which was not a particularly good vintage in Bolgheri) shines for its complexity and evolution. Garnet in colour with cedar wood, leather and cigar box notes in depth embellished with blueberry fruit and crystallised violet, this Masseto is a benchmark aged Merlot with its silky-smooth milk chocolate palate covering quite classic angular yet evolved tannins. Now drinking well, enjoy the untreated leather finish and whiffs of game.

• Wine Spectator: Offers wild rosemary, juniper, coffee, plum, fruitcake and spice aromas and flavors. Mature, supple, balanced and elegant, displaying a lifted, mouthwatering finish, with coffee, fruit and tar details.

Producer Information

Masseto is a famed single-vineyard, Super Tuscan wine label produced from a site in Bolgheri, on the Tuscan coast, planted entirely to Merlot. It is one of the most famous Super Tuscan wines and is made by Tenuta dell'Ornellaia. The wine is known for its aromatic complexity, opulent fruit and tannic structure, and is consistently regarded as one of the top wines in the world with auction prices to match. It is classified as IGT Toscana. The 6.6-hectare (16.3-acre) site, a former clay quarry, was identified by famed American enologist André Tchelistcheff as having great potential for Merlot. This is due to its high content of compact clay, particularly in the central portion, with more pebble- and sand-based soils in the upper and lower portions. The vineyard is managed in small plots and, despite its modest size, the harvest can take up to a month. The wines were initially produced in an old farmhouse although in 2019 a newly designed, underground winery was unveiled to the press. Bunch selection takes place in the vineyard with further berry sorting after destemming, Masseto's fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The base wines are then aged in medium-toast French oak barrels for about a year. After blending, the wine is aged for another year. Masseto was first released in 1984 to immediate acclaim. Today, production totals around 35,000 bottles a year and a second wine – Massetino – has been produced since 2017 from barrels that are not selected for the flagship wine. As with Ornellaia, Masseto has been owned by the Frescobaldis since 2005. The famous Bordeaux-based winemaker and consultant enologist Michel Rolland has been consultant at the property since the death of Tchelistcheff in 1994.

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