2005 Masseto, Tuscany, Italy
Critics reviews
This is such an enticing wine, shot through with black truffle, raspberry puree, tender tannins, with caressing waves of woodsmoke and violet. So good to drink now, this is one of my favourite of the lineup, elegant, nuanced, with a similar feel to the 2001 and 2018. This was Axel Heinz's first vintage, and one of his first decisions was to pick the best plots almost two weeks later than had been typical, right through to September 30. 100% new oak.
Drink 2021 - 2036
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com (November 2021)
Tasted next to the 2002, the 2005 Masseto is perhaps a bit edgier, with an extra kick of tannic intensity that gives the wine its sense of direction and a good kick of energy, too. I very much admire the tension in the 2005, a wine built on freshness, aromatic depth, and mid-weight structure. Cool, rainy weather towards the end of the season resulted in a late harvest between September 14 and 30.
Drink 2018 - 2030
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (January 2020)
This is a Masseto that is its own now, with balance and harmony. It shows delicate chocolate and berry character with hints of hazelnut. It has a medium to full body and a long, silky finish.
Drink now
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (July 2014)
It is always special to taste a winemaker’s first wines, and tasting the 2005 Masseto alongside Axel Heinz perfectly captures the emotion and purpose of wine: a living art form to be shared and bring people together. The 2005 Masseto is rich with herbaceous layers of kirsch, thyme, worn leather, and menthol. It is fleshy and full, with mocha and black truffle, and is still flush with ripe fruit that coaxes through the mid-palate, with a present and firm structure. There is still enough life left in it to go at least another decade.
Drink 2022 - 2032
Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com (January 2023)
About this WINE
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.
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.
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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Description
It is always special to taste a winemaker’s first wines, and tasting the 2005 Masseto alongside Axel Heinz perfectly captures the emotion and purpose of wine: a living art form to be shared and bring people together. The 2005 Masseto is rich with herbaceous layers of kirsch, thyme, worn leather, and menthol. It is fleshy and full, with mocha and black truffle, and is still flush with ripe fruit that coaxes through the mid-palate, with a present and firm structure. There is still enough life left in it to go at least another decade.
Drink 2022 - 2032
Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com (January 2023)
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