2013 Masseto, Tuscany, Italy
Critics reviews
The 2013 Masseto is a wine of real vibrancy, clarity and precision. In some moments, the 2013 shows a bit of its voluptuous fruit, but it is rich, structured and clearly in need of time. Like all Massetos from cooler years, the 2013 is a long-distance runner. Give it time. A warm, dry summer helped the vineyards catch up after a late and irregular flowering. Cool nighttime temperatures provided the diurnal shifts at the end of the season that are so critical for the development of aromatics.
Drink 2023 - 2043
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (January 2020)
The 2013 Masseto paints a glorious picture of Tuscany. It captures an inspired moment in time and walks an impressive tightrope between power and elegance. In my preview tasting last year, I noticed the firm textural richness of the 2013 vintage and the crystalline sharpness of its aromas. Thanks to 12 additional months of bottle ageing, that impression is evermore constant and concrete.
The focus is there, yet the wine has also fleshed out and put on more velvety definition especially in terms of mouthfeel. It wears its pedigree with pride, but most importantly it offers the balance and integration to promise a long and healthy aging future. The 2013 vintage follows closely on the heels of the impeccable 2006 and 2010 vintages in terms of cellaring potential. This is definitely a bottle that should interest collectors.
Drink 2018 - 2045
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (October 2016)
A rainy spring delayed the growing season. Flowering was irregular. July was warm and dry but storms in August delayed harvest by almost two weeks.
Very fresh, fairly complex nose but overall the wine seems a bit skinny at this early stage. The finish is still a little oaky. Extremely youthful and still a little scrawny. The end arrives a little suddenly.
Drink 2020 - 2030
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (March 2017)
Aromas of blueberries, violets and roses turn to black truffles. Full body, ultra-fine tannins and great length. So gorgeous and persistent. It goes on for minutes.
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (November 2016)
The 2013 vintage should be filed among Tuscany's cooler harvests, making this Masseto leaner and more elegant than powerful. That said, the dry, moderate climate of Bolgheri enhanced the maturity. This combination favoured Merlot-based blends - and, therefore, Masseto. Restrained plums, eucalyptus and gardenia, give the nose an enticing character, while bramble fruits and dark chocolate unfold on the palate, ending with a bright liquorice finish. Creamy with great tension of youthful fruit, this is a dark, sculptural Masseto, very classic for cellaring.
Drink 2021 - 2043
Aldo Fiordelli, Decanter.com (December 2020)
The 2013 Masseto is really starting to show off, opening in the glass to aromas of framboise, crushed stones, cypress, fresh leather, and minty lift. Ripe but chiselled, it’s full-bodied, with very well-defined, ripe tannins. Notes of salty dark earth drive the wine forward, while more savoury and earthy notes of pu-ehr tea last long after the wine is gone. It’s a wine that will be sturdy in the long run, and its structure is not going anywhere. For my personal taste, the 2020 has a slight edge over this, but it’s a remarkable wine.
Drink 2025 - 2050
Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com (January 2024)
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.
Buying options
Add to wishlist
Description
The 2013 Masseto is really starting to show off, opening in the glass to aromas of framboise, crushed stones, cypress, fresh leather, and minty lift. Ripe but chiselled, it’s full-bodied, with very well-defined, ripe tannins. Notes of salty dark earth drive the wine forward, while more savoury and earthy notes of pu-ehr tea last long after the wine is gone. It’s a wine that will be sturdy in the long run, and its structure is not going anywhere. For my personal taste, the 2020 has a slight edge over this, but it’s a remarkable wine.
Drink 2025 - 2050
Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com (January 2024)
wine at a glance
Delivery and quality guarantee