100% Merlot

Jeb Dunnuck: 98+, James Suckling: 98

Jeb Dunnuck: The 2019 Masseto is a remarkably potent wine woven with layers of incense, polished leather, and macchia herbs. The palate is full and refined, with well-managed and fine tannin structure. Luxurious with red and black fruits, it offers notes of pure red apple, blackberry, graphite, and lavender, and it is long and persistent while retaining a transparent nature with a refreshing feel. A beautiful wine, it is showing its pedigree now but should certainly be cellared, as this is going to be a wine to enjoy over the next several decades.The adjacent sister property to Ornellaia, the Masseto estate in Bolgheri produces benchmark wines based on Merlot, with its first vintage in 1987. Their new winery, which debuted in 2018, was designed by architects Hikaru Mori and Maurizio Zito of the ZitoMori Studio, who named it “The Quarry.” It is an impressive design, with the exterior blending into the landscape, only to reveal its true grandeur upon entering the winery beneath. One feature of the new winery has been to move away from the use of stainless steel, which they found could contribute to reductive qualities. Instead, 20 to 25% of the wine is now fermented in concrete tanks, with the remainder in oak barrels. The concrete also takes on some of the qualities of barrel fermentation, without adding the additional flavors that barrels would contribute. The oldest vines are currently approaching 40 years old, and in newer vintages, Cabernet Franc they planted more recently has been making its way into the wines. My tasting took place at the winery with the estate’s new winemaker, Gaia Cinnirella, and Axel Heinz, who has moved into an overseer role as the estate director.

James Suckling: The clarity of the ripe blackcurrants, black cherries and flowers in the nose is entrancing. Lavender, too. It’s full-bodied with firm, silky tannins that run long and straight through the wine, providing brightness and focus. Goes on for minutes. Strength with finesse.