Wine Advisor
Masseto, Masseto 1999
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Description
To open a bottle, is to unleash a liquid kaleidoscope. 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.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 1999 Masseto is a cool, inward wine graced with exquisite finesse, but it still needs a few years in bottle to show its potential. That said, it is pretty spectacular even today. This is a vintage that will appeal to readers who enjoy firm, structured wines. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
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 here and superb structure, but it offers more sensory and tactile pleasure than the Vigna d’Alceo ’99 apposite. The tannins are thick and chewy towards the finish, great depth and expression with a sumptuous finish. Sublime. Drink now-2020+ Tasted May 2009.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The dense ruby/purple-colored 1999 Masseto offers a fabulous bouquet of sweet oak, black raspberries, blackberries, currants, new wood, and licorice. 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. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2019. Importer: RM Imports, Napa, CA; tel. (888) RMONDAVI
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
With the 1999 vintage Masseto returns to another powerful, fresh and vibrant expression of this wine. Conveying an impression of youth, the 1999 Masseto reveals layers of dark fruit that open in the glass with much persistence on the palate and terrific overall balance. It is stunning vintage for this wine. 95/ Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019. The 100% Merlot Masseto, on the other hand, has proven to be a wine of greater singularity. Its unique, unmistakable personality always comes through, especially in a set of widely diverse vintages, as this vertical attests. The Masseto vineyard measures roughly 7 hectares. Set on a gently sloping hill, the vineyard is divided into three sections which contain different clay-based soil types. The structure of Masseto comes from the central portion of the vineyard (Masseto Centrale), where the terrain is most compact. Towards the upper part of the hillside (Masseto Alto) the soils contain a higher percentage of rocks and thus yield wines that are more aromatic. The lower stretch of the vineyard, known as “Masseto Junior,” is also the most recent to be planted. According to Raspini the fruit from these vines bridges the qualities of the wines from the central and upper portions of the vineyard and thus serves to give Masseto its finesse and balance. There is also a small amount of fruit that comes from the “Vigna Vecchia” plot which is the source of the Merlot that is used for Ornellaia. Each parcel is harvested and vinified separately. Fermentation and maceration typically last around 25 days, give or take, depending on the quality of the fruit, after which the wines are moved into 100% new French oak barrels for the malolactic fermentations. The wines spend 12 months in oak prior to being assembled, after which the final blend spends an additional 12 months in oak prior to being bottled. Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is without question one of Italy’s blue-chip properties. The gorgeous, sprawling estate is located in Bolgheri in Tuscany’s Maremma. On a recent visit I had the opportunity to taste a number of the estate’s wines with General Manager/Agronomist Leonardo Raspini and Oenologist Axel Heinz, including verticals of the estate’s top bottlings Ornellaia and Masseto.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
With the 1999 vintage Masseto returns to another powerful, fresh and vibrant expression of this wine. Conveying an impression of youth, the 1999 Masseto reveals layers of dark fruit that open in the glass with much persistence on the palate and terrific overall balance. It is stunning vintage for this wine.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
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.
About the Producer
For 700 years the Frescobaldi family has combined tradition, experience and innovation with creativity and the pursuit of excellence. The family has always looked to develop and celebrate the diversity of Tuscany’s terroir, being proud owners of some of the greatest vineyards in this region. The Masseto hill is a special place, both a revelation and a mystery. This is where terroir victoriously transcends the grape varieties and where the blue clays of the Pliocene Era tell their ancient story. Millions of years ago a deep marine substrate was deposited which transformed gradually into blue clay that came to the surface on this hill after thousands of years of erosion. The shells and fossils found imbedded in the clays are testimony to this. With a heart as hard as stone and yet with an intriguing fragility, the clay knows just how to adjust to its environment & climate. This contrast is reflected in the intense power and silky elegance to be found in Masseto.
1992(2)1994(1)1995(2)1996(2)1997(1)1998(3)
Package Size
1 x 1.5L1 x 75cl
