2009 Masseto, Tuscany, Italy

2009 Masseto, Tuscany, Italy

Product: 20091160743
Prices start from £4,933.00 per double magnum (300cl). Buying options
2009 Masseto, Tuscany, Italy

Buying options

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Double Magnum (300cl)
 x 1
£4,933.00
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Description

The thread of potent, warm-vintage Massetos continues with the 2009. Dense, opulent and unctuous to its core, the 2009 is a decidedly flamboyant wine with huge fruit density and equally big tannins. Black plum, bittersweet chocolate, menthol and dark spices all build with time in the glass. The 2009 is not at all subtle, but it is pretty delicious. Warm, dry weather, with narrow diurnal shifts, resulted in a harvest that took place over eight days, from September 2 to 10.

This wine was tasted as part of a complete retrospective I co-hosted with Masseto winemaker Axel Heinz, singer/songwriter Martina McBride and her husband, producer John McBride, that was auctioned off at the Nashville Wine Auction to fund cancer research and treatment. 

First made in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia, Masseto has become one of the most highly sought-after wines in the world. Masseto emerges principally from three Merlot vineyards: ‘Masseto Alto, Masseto Centrale and Masseto Junior.’ The wine sees 3-4 weeks on the skins, followed by malolactic fermentation in barrel. The lots are aged separately for 12 months in 100% new oak, blended and then the wine is aged for another 12 months in wood. Earlier vintages saw shorter macerations and less time in oak.

Production is around 32,000 bottles.

Drink 2018 - 2033

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (January 2020)

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Critics reviews

Antonio Galloni, Vinous94+/100

The thread of potent, warm-vintage Massetos continues with the 2009. Dense, opulent and unctuous to its core, the 2009 is a decidedly flamboyant wine with huge fruit density and equally big tannins. Black plum, bittersweet chocolate, menthol and dark spices all build with time in the glass. The 2009 is not at all subtle, but it is pretty delicious. Warm, dry weather, with narrow diurnal shifts, resulted in a harvest that took place over eight days, from September 2 to 10.

This wine was tasted as part of a complete retrospective I co-hosted with Masseto winemaker Axel Heinz, singer/songwriter Martina McBride and her husband, producer John McBride, that was auctioned off at the Nashville Wine Auction to fund cancer research and treatment. 

First made in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia, Masseto has become one of the most highly sought-after wines in the world. Masseto emerges principally from three Merlot vineyards: ‘Masseto Alto, Masseto Centrale and Masseto Junior.’ The wine sees 3-4 weeks on the skins, followed by malolactic fermentation in barrel. The lots are aged separately for 12 months in 100% new oak, blended and then the wine is aged for another 12 months in wood. Earlier vintages saw shorter macerations and less time in oak.

Production is around 32,000 bottles.

Drink 2018 - 2033

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (January 2020)

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Ian D'Agata, Vinous96/100

Good full ruby. Superripe, pure aromas of blackberry, cassis, violet, minerals, milk chocolate and exotic spices. Superconcentrated, rich and seamless, offering explosive sweetness and great verve, thanks to bright acidity that provides wonderful lift and clarity to the blackberry, blueberry and black cherry flavours. 

Finishes with ultra-suave tannins and a kaleidoscope of violet and Oriental spice flavours. A very great Masseto from a hot year when I would have expected the Merlot to suffer a bit. But unlike in 2003, when it wasn't just hot but dry, Masseto's unique microclimate allowed the Merlot to avoid major stress in 2009. As good and refined as the Ornellaia was in 2009, I think the Masseto has an extra layer of complexity and depth.

Ian D'Agata, Vinous.com (September 2012)

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Jancis Robinson MW16++/20

I am ashamed to see that I have yet to record my tasting notes on other recent vintages of this wine. I must say I have tended to find them overly sweet and thick. This one definitely has more structure – almost as though it is taking Figeac rather than Bon Pasteur as its model. But the overall result, to sound horribly ungenerous, is a wine that, despite its high alcohol, seems a little light on fruit and tart and chewy on the finish. It may well get there eventually, but at the moment is a bit like sucking upholstery webbing. Sorry. I know I must read like the nark of narks.

Ready to drink

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (December 2012)

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James Suckling95/100

Sexy and muscular. Blackberries, liquorice and tar on the nose. Bark, earth, and spice as well. Super subtle. Full-bodied, with super chewy tannins and a wonderful line. So beautiful. Creamy tannins. A baby 2001. 

Ready to drink

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (December 2012)

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About this WINE

Masseto

Masseto

Masseto is an Italian wine produced in the Bolgheri of Tuscany, specifically within the coastal area known as the Maremma. It is renowned as one of Italy’s most prestigious and sought-after wines, particularly for its exceptional quality and limited production.

Masseto is made exclusively from Merlot grapes, which is somewhat unusual for Tuscany, as many other regional top wines are predominantly composed of Sangiovese. The choice of Merlot is significant because it thrives in the clay-rich soil of the Masseto vineyard, producing grapes of exceptional quality.

The vineyard is located in the Bolgheri region, specifically in the Tenuta dell’Ornellaia estate. Its unique terroir, characterized by clay soil mixed with gravel and excellent drainage, contributes to the wine’s distinct character and complexity. The winemaking process involves hand-harvesting the Merlot grapes, careful sorting, and fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels, with a portion of new barrels each vintage to provide structure and complexity.

Masseto is produced in minimal quantities, making it a rare and highly sought-after wine. The annual production is small, with variations depending on vintage conditions.

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Bolgheri

Bolgheri

Bolgheri is a new DOC in the coastal Maremma region which first rose to prominence during the 1970s with the emergence of the so-called Super Tuscan wines like Ornellaia and Sassicaia. These new ventures had rocked the DOC establishment by using high proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon, opting out of the DOC system and relabeling their wines as simply Vino da Tavola (table wine). 

Having won universal acclaim and exchanging hands for unprecedented prices (higher even than Tuscany's finest examples), the authorities relented and awarded Bolgheri its own DOC. The actions of the Super Tuscans inspired a generation in Italy, even if some of the wines here have lost a little of their lustre since.

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Merlot

Merlot

The most widely planted grape in Bordeaux and a grape that has been on a relentless expansion drive throughout the world in the last decade. Merlot is adaptable to most soils and is relatively simple to cultivate. It is a vigorous naturally high yielding grape that requires savage pruning - over-cropped Merlot-based wines are dilute and bland. It is also vital to pick at optimum ripeness as Merlot can quickly lose its varietal characteristics if harvested overripe.

In St.Emilion and Pomerol it withstands the moist clay rich soils far better than Cabernet grapes, and at it best produces opulently rich, plummy clarets with succulent fruitcake-like nuances. Le Pin, Pétrus and Clinet are examples of hedonistically rich Merlot wines at their very best. It also plays a key supporting role in filling out the middle palate of the Cabernet-dominated wines of the Médoc and Graves.

Merlot is now grown in virtually all wine growing countries and is particularly successful in California, Chile and Northern Italy.

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