Wine Advisor
Masseto, Masseto 2000
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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
In a large tasting such as this one, there are bound to be positive and negative surprises. The 2000 Masseto is the one wine that is quite disappointing. The aromas and flavors are quite soft and forward, with oxidative tones that have begun to creep in. There is no upside from cellaring bottles further. I tasted four bottles, and they were all similarly evolved, which was a big surprise given the way every other wine in this tasting showed. Anticipated maturity: 2011
Reviewed by: Daniel Thomases
The all-Merlot 2000 Masseto, warm, spicy, and very ripe in aroma, is broad and enveloping on the palate, lush, silky, and, again, rather ready, though the force and length on the finish suggest that there are easily a dozen years of life ahead of it. Ornellaia has been through some significant changes over the past several years. First with the departure of Lodovico Antinori and the arrival of the new owners, Mondavi and Frescobaldi, then with a double changeover of winemakers, first Andrea Giovannini (now at Monsanto) from 1999 to 2001, then Thomas Duroux, trained at Bordeaux and then the oenologist for the unsuccessful Mondavi Languedoc project. High quality, however, has been a constant – these have been Bolgheri’s best wines, along with those of Le Macchiole, over the past five years, and there is no indication of any change in the level of ambition. Importer: Robert Mondavi Imports, Napa, CA; tel. 800-228-1395
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Readers looking for a more mature Masseto might want to consider the 2000. It presents a more evolved set of earth, tobacco and roasted coffee bean aromas and flavors along with ripe dark fruit. Although it displays plenty of concentration and length on the palate its slightly coarse tannins are those of a merely good, but not great vintage. 91/Anticipated maturity: 2007-2017. 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
Readers looking for a more mature Masseto might want to consider the 2000. It presents a more evolved set of earth, tobacco and roasted coffee bean aromas and flavors along with ripe dark fruit. Although it displays plenty of concentration and length on the palate its slightly coarse tannins are those of a merely good, but not great vintage.
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.
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