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.
The History of the Estate:
Masseto was created around the same time as Ornellaia in the 1980s by Tenuta dell’Ornellaia’s founder Marchese Lodovico Antinori.
The slope, where the Masseto vineyard sits, wasn’t the ideal location for Merlot vines. But, Lodovico Antinori wanted to produce Bordeaux-style wines, took a risk, and planted them against all advice, tradition, and odds. Antinori wanted to plant Merlot to differentiate his estate from Nicolo Incisa’s Sassicaia.
The first vintage of Masseto was released in 1986 and received immediate acclaim. The reputation of Masseto wine continued to rise through the 1990s.
The winery was co-owned by Robert Mondavi and Marchesi De Frescobaldi from 2002 to 2005. The Frescobaldi Family (producers of Brunello di Montalcino) took over both Ornellaia and Masseto wine estates in 2005 and currently owns both.
In 2008, Masseto became the first Italian wine to be sold through the Place de Bordeaux (the complex system of negociants who sell Bordeaux wine to the rest of the world.)
Masseto continues to enjoy worldwide success under estate director and winemaker Axel Heinz, in consultation with oenologist Michel Rolland.
The Terroir:
The Masseto hill is both a revelation and a mystery, as it majestically lifts its head to look out across the Tyrrhenian Sea.
“We are always on the point of obtaining a fantastic wine, but the final result can never be taken for granted. nevertheless, this vineyard never ceases to amaze us. It’s truly a magical place where nature makes the most important decisions.”
Lamberto Frescobaldi, President
The sea is an integral part of every Masseto vintage. In summer, its rippling surface acts as a vast mirror, amplifying the sun’s brightness. As light pours over the vineyard, the sea brews another element. Soft, moisture laden Aeolian breezes that slide between the vines and around the grape bunches. The cool air tempers the ripening process, prolongs the gentle evolution of a bracing, balancing acidity and ensures the fruit is refreshed in the driest months, and dry in the wettest.
Beneath the earth, a third marine influence is at work. Roots find their way into the tract of million-year-old blue clay on which the vineyard now sits. Once seabed, it is filled with minerals and fossils of the life that was.
The Wines:
The Grand Vin of the estate, Masseto, is an invitation to discover, through a subtle alchemy between smoothness, elegance and power, the expression of a mosaic of vineyards planted on one of the finest Tuscan terroirs. A rare combination of sumptuous opulence and polished elegance.
As a tribute to its rugged force, its softness, and the debt it owes to the soil from which it rises, Masseto was named after the rock-hard clusters of blue clay called ‘massi’ that form on the vineyard’s surface.
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.