MassetoProducer from Tuscany, Italy

Masseto wears the crown of producing one of Italy's best Merlots, a reputation that places it in the illustrious company of world-renowned wines like Petrus and Le Pin on the global stage. Masseto enjoys a revered and almost mythical reputation in the wine community, with its highly limited availability and fervent demand elevating it to the ranks of modern iconic wines.

Masseto's Magic Merlot:

The Masseto winery was formed when Ornellai's legendary consultant André Tchelistcheff decided to plant Merlot in a 7ha vineyard with distinctive blue clay soils in Bolgheri. The result was so good that they decided to make a brand new wine that was 100% Merlot instead of the Cabernet-based blends the region was becoming famous for. The Masseto winery was born. Masseto's celebrated merlot is not just a testament to the richness of the Tuscan terroir but is also a reflection of the meticulous care and precision that define the winery's approach to winemaking.

The genesis of Masseto winery is woven into the fabric of the Bolgheri region, a place renowned for its prowess in challenging traditional Italian winemaking norms and embracing the potential of Bordeaux varietals. Among these, Merlot has found a particularly expressive voice at Masseto, flourishing in the estate’s unique microclimate and geological makeup. The winery rests atop a hillock predominantly composed of blue clay, a characteristic that not only sets the foundation for the name 'Masseto' but is also pivotal in crafting the wine’s distinct profile. This clay, along with the estate’s meticulous parcel-by-parcel viticulture, ensures that each vine grows under optimal conditions, contributing to the unparalleled quality of their grapes.

Creating Masseto wine is an exercise in precision, merging tradition with meticulous care at every stage. The grapes are delicately handled using gravity-flow methods, leading to fermentation in specially designed small tanks that enhance the land's unique expression. This meticulous process ensures the wine's understated elegance is preserved. As it matures in French oak barrels, Masseto gains aromatic layers, enhancing its complexity with spicy and woody notes, which further refine its balance between strength and delicate finesse. This careful ageing process, closely monitored to ensure each barrel contributes optimally to the final blend, underpins Masseto's celebrated harmony of rich fruit flavours, smooth tannins, and enduring finish. 

Since its release, the wine has scored numerous amounts of 100-point ratings from wine critics such as the Wine Advocate, Vinous, Decanter, James Suckling and Jeb Dunnuck.

The blue clay secret to making Masseto's Merlot:

Masseto's vineyards thrive atop a hidden layer of blue clay, a secret to its remarkable wines, mirroring the finest Bordeaux soils in nutrient richness. This clay creates a perfect habitat for vine roots, providing vital moisture and nutrients, and enhancing the grapes with a unique mineral complexity. A treasure from the Pliocene Epoch, this clay is rich with oceanic fossils, echoing the vibrant marine history of the area. Its composition—both robust and sensitive—allows it to adapt to weather and temperature changes. This results in Masseto’s wines, which masterfully balance intense power with subtle finesse.

The success of the Masseto site is significantly influenced by its marine environment, which brings refreshing sea breezes and an enhanced intensity of light, particularly as the day draws to a close.

Wines produced at Masseto:

Masseto: 

Masseto, hailing from Tuscany, stands as a beacon of winemaking craftsmanship, capturing the essence of its region while showcasing the majesty of Merlot. This iconic wine is meticulously crafted, embodying a 100% Merlot composition that undergoes a careful maturation process. Aged for two years in entirely new oak barrels and refined for an additional year in the bottle before it greets the world, Masseto unfolds on the palate with a luxurious smoothness. It strikes a harmonious balance, weaving a tapestry of elegance, power, and rhythm that resonates with every sip. This splendid wine captures the heart of Tuscany, offering a perfect symphony of refined grace and formidable strength. Masseto's exceptional profile is a testament to the unparalleled beauty and complexity that Tuscany’s terroir can produce, making it a cherished treasure among wine connoisseurs.

Masseto Massetino:

Massetino is the second wine of Masseto and debuted with the 2017 vintage. The wine was first released in 2019 which was exactly three decades after the inaugural release of Masseto Grand Vin. Just like its older brother, the Massetino offers a rendition of opulent Merlot but comes with a touch of Cabernet Franc to differentiate itself. The addition of the Cabernet Franc gives this wine a very different personality, and it beautifully draws out the wine's high tones or the more lifted aromas of black olive spice and crushed aspirin or mineral that immediately catch your attention at the back of the usual black cherry, spice and tobacco. The Merlot comes from the same blue clay that distinguishes Masseto but the wine sees less intense levels of oak resulting in higher levels of freshness, elegance and a more fruit-driven profile than its older brother. The result is that the Massetino can be drunk younger than its older sibling. With each vintage that passes the wine is getting better and better.