Masseto 2015 Toscana IGT - Ornellaia (cassa legno 3x)

Masseto 2015 – Ornellaia

Masseto is the Merlot that changed how this grape is seen in Italy. It comes from a hillside at Castagneto Carducci, in the Bolgheri area, planted in the 1980s within the Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate; the first vintage was 1986. The name comes from the compact clusters of blue clay, known as masseti, that surface in the vineyard. Today Masseto is an estate in its own right, with a dedicated winery dug beneath the vineyard.

The Pliocene blue clays give the Merlot rare structure and depth. The wine matures for about two years in new French oak barriques, then further in bottle.

2015, a warm and sunny vintage in Tuscany, produced a rich, opulent Masseto: plum, blackberry, chocolate, sweet spice and dense, velvety tannins. Ten years after harvest it is starting to show its first tertiary notes of tobacco and undergrowth. It is the benchmark for Italian Merlot, to be compared with Pétrus and Le Pin. Offered in the original 3-bottle wooden case, a collector's format.

At a glance: Merlot 100% · 14.5% ABV · 3 x 0.75 l (wooden case) · Ornellaia, Bolgheri