As I have already blogged, no wine from Tuscany attracts the kudos that the pure Merlot Masseto does. That’s why I believe that the formidable red is Tuscany’s Most Collectible Wine.
Masseto is a wine that impresses you with its depth of fruit, richness, and structure, yet there is something so very decadent and sexy about the wine. It shows you so much in dark fruit, mushroom and black olive character, but then gives you a little spice and mineral from the oceanic influenced soils and climate. It is a pleasure to taste and a joy to drink. I wish I had more of it in my cellar.
I tasted the last two vintages of Masseto at the estate of Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, where it is grown and produced. A new winery is in plans for the great wine. Global consulting enologist Michel Rolland has been working with Ornellaia on Masseto since the mid-1990s. It’s sort of ironic that the best Merlot that Rolland makes in the world is Masseto, considering Rolland has his own winery in Bordeaux’s Pomerol, Le Bon-Pasteur.
I believe the best vintage is the monumental 2001 followed by 2008, 2006, 2004, 2007, 1998, and 1997. The 2001 is a perfect 100-point wine and arguably one of the greatest wines ever made in Tuscany.
I tasted the 2009 and 2008 with Ornellaia estate manager Leonardo Raspini and winemaker Axel Heinz. Check out what they have to say about the two vintages. The 2009 was from barrel.
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