Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia Masseto IGT 2016
A$4,500.00
In stock
750ml
Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia
Tuscany, Italy
Vintages
Description
Winemaking at Masseto is at the same time an adventure and a continuous discovery. A place where intuition prevails, where no one could be sure that the fragile Merlot could succeed, even if the presence of blue clay from the Pliocene gave a hint. Making Masseto is a balancing act, one feels like a tightrope dancer always on the edge of a precipice. The clayish soils in themselves represent all the contradictions: A capacity to store great amounts of water and to release it very gently. A soil that is cold and wet in a rainy year but gets hard as a rock during a dry summer, creates a shear physical barrier to the roots that struggle to go deep down into the subsoil. A soil in which, with a low planting density, a level of vigour is achieved that would normally be expected from a high-density vineyard. The vines of Masseto seem to be continuously struggling with the elements, frequently at the limit of collapse but somehow always able to resist and develop the fruit of incredible concentration and flavour. A rare combination of lush ripeness and lavish concentration which somehow manages to preserve its complexity and freshness. Each individual vintage expresses its unmistakable Masseto character, but with a slightly different interpretation - just as a masterpiece of music will sound differently according to the artist who plays it.
Ratings
Score
100 points
Reviewer
James Suckling
Review
This is so solid and powerful with incredible vertical dense that goes down and down on the palate. Compacted and thick with caressing and polished tannins that are powerful yet refined. Super concentration yet agile and energetic. This is a wine that needs time to come together and resolve all of its amazing components. Reminds me of the legendary 2001. Try after 2023.
