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.
A hedge maze of aromas greets the nose, from blackberries and black cherries to crushed stones and crumpled petals, before a gentle addition of vanilla and toasted coconut. Mixed berries with vanilla and cardamom soak the palate, followed by freshly tilled dirt and flinty stone notes, and finally an astringent, brooding spiciness on the back. Tannins are tightly stitched together across the palate like a tapestry, with acrobatic acid emphasizing a salt and pepper finish. A wine that speaks volumes without shouting.
Intense, deep, dark ruby red with violet glints. An intense and dense nose, with notes of cold smoke, then aromas of black currants, blackberries and graphite. Substantial and dense, with tightly woven tannins, a fine savouriness, wonderfully compact, a touch of earthy notes on the finish.