1995 Masseto, Tuscany, Italy

1995 Masseto, Tuscany, Italy

Product: 19951160743
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Prices start from £3,613.00 per double magnum (300cl). Buying options
1995 Masseto, Tuscany, Italy

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Double Magnum (300cl)
 x 1
£3,613.00
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Description

100% new oak.

A lovely expression of fully mature, 26 year old Merlot, where black truffles abound. The first vintage of Masseto was in 1987, so at this point the vines were just over 10 years old. The tannins are gentle, with density through the mid palate but set against softened stewed blackberry and raspberry fruit, touches of balsamic and soy. Campfire smoke on the finish, this is ready to drink, and is very much in its tertiary phase. The winemaking at the time was more inspired by Bordeaux than it is today (meaning higher temperature and more charged extraction, among other details), so this really is a fascinating wine in the vertical to understand how the personality has changed.

Drink 2021 - 2025

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux (December 2021)

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Critics reviews

Jane Anson91/100

100% new oak.

A lovely expression of fully mature, 26 year old Merlot, where black truffles abound. The first vintage of Masseto was in 1987, so at this point the vines were just over 10 years old. The tannins are gentle, with density through the mid palate but set against softened stewed blackberry and raspberry fruit, touches of balsamic and soy. Campfire smoke on the finish, this is ready to drink, and is very much in its tertiary phase. The winemaking at the time was more inspired by Bordeaux than it is today (meaning higher temperature and more charged extraction, among other details), so this really is a fascinating wine in the vertical to understand how the personality has changed.

Drink 2021 - 2025

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux (December 2021)

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Antonio Galloni, Vinous95/100

(Tasted from Magnum) Time has also been kind to the 1995 Masseto. Still quite rich, deep and pliant, the 1995 offers up a compelling fabric of sweet dark cherry, plum, licorice and mocha. Now gently softened by the slow passage of the years, the 1995 is mature but also has enough depth to drink well for another decade or so.

Drink 2016 - 2026

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (January 2017)

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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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