MASSETO
2014
A rich version, featuring cherry, strawberry, cedar, coffee and mocha flavors, this opens up to reveal a polished feel and finegrained tannins Drinking range: 2021 - 2035 Rating: 94 Bruce Sanderson, The Wine Spectator (Sept 2017)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
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)
Masseto
Originally Masseto was a part of the larger vineyard of Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, but in 1986 it was decided to vinify the plots of Merlot on this seven hectare hillside site separately as it was thought they showed promise. By this chance was born one of the modern icons of the world of wine. The hillside has pebbly clay and sand at the top, which give elegance. In the mid-slope (a 10% gradient) the soil is grey clay, which gives the wine it's structural core, while the bottom part of the vineyard with less clay gives a generous warmth and richness. The wine is 100% Merlot, and is aged in barrel for two years, before a further year in bottle prior to release. Although Axel Heinz remains in charge of winemaking in both properties, Masseto is now considered separate from Ornellaia, and will have its own winery from 2018. Masseto is owned by the Frescobaldi family.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond' (excluding duty paid and VAT).
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price sits within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
You can register your interest via the online wishlist form, by emailing privateclients@leaandsandeman.co.uk, or by calling 020 7221 1982. All wishlist requests are subject to availability and final confirmation. Inevitably, some wines will have to be allocated but please do not let that deter you from asking. We will do our best to satisfy all requests.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date.
Invoices are raised at in bond prices. Duty and VAT invoices will be raised on request when the wines land in the UK.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We reserve the right to levy a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant Storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other in bond deliveries are free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1,000. Orders below this total will be charged at £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchase from this offer, not a per-case charge. Please inform us of in bond delivery addresses and account details at the time of ordering.
- If the wines are required duty paid we will issue invoices at prevailing rate of duty and VAT when the wines arrive in the UK.
- The wines will become available by the end of the year and should be shipped very early next year.