Masseto 2016 Toscana IGT - Ornellaia

Masseto 2016 – 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.

2016 is considered one of the great Tuscan vintages of the decade, for its balance between ripeness and freshness. Masseto expresses it with depth and elegance: black fruit, cocoa, spice, graphite and silky tannins, with the first signs of development but a long life still ahead. It is the benchmark for Italian Merlot, to be compared with Pétrus and Le Pin. With game, beef fillet, truffle dishes or on its own.

At a glance: Merlot 100% · 14.5% ABV · 0.75 l · Ornellaia, Bolgheri