MASSETO

Beautiful aromas of violets and blackberry with hints of spice. Some sweet tobacco. Full body, yet refined and polished with ultra-fine tannins and a long, long finish. The texture and intensity are exceptional. Fantastic for the vintage. Drink in 2021 but a joy to taste. Rating: 97 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Aug 2017)

The 2014 Masseto has developed beautifully over the past few years of its oak and bottle evolution. This is a very distinctive edition of the iconic Italian Merlot that delivers a silky and streamlined approach. As bold and opulent as Masseto is in the warm vintages, I personally find those wines difficult to finish because the extract, concentration and intensity are so over the top. The best vintages of Masseto usually overpower any food dish you put before them. This is a subdued and downplayed expression instead. The cool summer season has shaped fresh berry notes of wild blackberry and cassis with drying mineral, tobacco, licorice and tar. There is evident sweetness here in terms of the wine's fruit flavors and its tannins, but there also is a cooling vein of acidity that makes the difference. The alcohol feels integrated and light. If you are hankering for a less massive and less muscular Masseto, this vintage is for you. Drinking range: 2019 - 2035 Rating: 94 Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate (www.robertparker.com) (Apr 2017)

Climate and vintage
The 2014 vintage will remain as one of the most particular in Masseto’s history. A warm and rainy winter was followed by a mild, dry spring that permitted a normal vegetative development with a timely and even flowering. After regular conditions in July, August was rainy and cold, creating difficulty for the grapes to ripen and increasing the risk of diseases. However, the meticulous work carried out in the vineyard, including leaf removal and treatments throughout the month of August, allowed the grapes to arrive in excellent condition for harvest in September and October when the weather was mostly sunny and dry. As always, great terroir tell their own story, and in 2014 the blue clays of Masseto showed their capacity to a full by swelling and making the soils impenetrable, thus avoiding excessive accumulation of water and the dilution of the grapes. During the harvest the meticulous selection of bunches was essential and some specific vineyard blocks were harvested in up to three different stages. A strict selection was also made on the sorting table, so as to fill the tanks with only perfect grapes. 2014 represents the latest and longest harvest in the history of Masseto. Starting on 5 September with the younger vines and ending on 7 October with the last rows in the sections of ‘Masseto Alto’ and ‘Masseto Centrale’.

Vinification and Ageing
The bunches, harvested by hand in 15kg crates, were selected by hand on a double sorting table before and after de-stemming, and then gently crushed. In this vintage 8 individual parcel lots were picked and vinified separately. The fermentation took place in tanks of both steel and wood, followed by a maceration of 15-20 days at a temperature between 25 and 30°C. Malolactic fermentation started in 100% new oak barriques, and the different lots were kept separate for the first 12 months of maturation. The wine was then assembled and reintroduced into the barriques for another year. After bottling, the wine was aged for an additional 12 months prior to release.

Tasting notes
In a vintage where the quality of the terroir, the patience and rigor of the workers made it possible to achieve full ripening, Masseto 2014 represents a most elegant and refined expression. Intense in colour the nose immediately reveals complexity and freshness with hints of red berries, sweet spices, and a slight aroma of toasted wood. On the palate silky with a fine, smooth texture, supported by a vibrant fruitiness and a lively acidity, all perfectly integrated. A long, intense finish concludes the tasting.Winemaker's notes (Sept 2016)