1999 Masseto, Tuscany, Italy
Critics reviews
Well, there is a lot of competition in this flight. The 1999 Masseto is another epic wine. Swaths of tannin give the 1999 a real sense of energy to match its decidedly virile, inward personality. Dark and brooding, the 1999 doesn’t quite have the volume of the 2001, the power of the 2006, or the finesse of years like 2004, but it is nevertheless superb in a slightly burlier style than those wines.
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 - 2034
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (January 2020)
Tasted blind at dinner at The Greenhouse. Served blind, this has a seductive, ravishing bouquet of red-berried fruit with touches of black olive, clay (pottery room!) and a slight savoury character reminiscent of a mature Petrus. Wonderful definition. The palate is full-bodied with firm tannins, real weight, and superb structure. It offers more sensory and tactile pleasure than the Vigna d’Alceo ’99 apposite. The tannins are thick and chewy towards the finish, with great depth and expression with a sumptuous finish. Sublime.
Ready to drink
Neil Martin, Wine Advocate (September 2009)
This is sometimes overlooked by Masseto lovers. It shows the precision and finesse of a top Masseto with firm tannins and bright blueberry and violet character with a long, fresh finish. It's full-bodied and so very polished with wonderful texture.
Drink or hold. Decant a couple of hours before serving.
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (July 2014)
The dense ruby/purple-coloured 1999 Masseto offers a fabulous bouquet of sweet oak, black raspberries, blackberries, currants, new wood, and liquorice. Firmly-structured and medium to full-bodied yet remarkably elegant, this impressive beauty needs 3-4 years of cellaring and should age for 15+ years.
Ready to drink
Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate (December 2002)
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
Well, there is a lot of competition in this flight. The 1999 Masseto is another epic wine. Swaths of tannin give the 1999 a real sense of energy to match its decidedly virile, inward personality. Dark and brooding, the 1999 doesn’t quite have the volume of the 2001, the power of the 2006, or the finesse of years like 2004, but it is nevertheless superb in a slightly burlier style than those wines.
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 - 2034
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (January 2020)
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