The Wine Advocate | RP 94-96
Published: May 6, 2021
Drink: 2024-2042

Tasted before bottling, the 2019 Massetino is shaping up beautifully. This is the third vintage made of the Merlot-based wine enhanced with a small part of Cabernet Franc. The Cabernet Franc is what distinguishes this euphemistically diminutive expression of Masseto, and it is its distinctive vinous signature. The 2019 vintage is soft and pliant but also incredibly rich and layered. It offers generous black fruit with ripe cherry and blackberry. Spice, tobacco and campfire ash fill in the rear and build the aromatic profile of this wine that is already stacked tall and proud. We still need to see how the 2019 plays out in the bottle, and I am especially interested to gauge how the thick and rich fruit concentration works against the less pronounced acidity of the vintage.

The 2018 vintage offers a unique perspective on the wines of Bolgheri, and nowhere is this more evident than the property that houses two powerhouse brands, Masseto and Ornellaia, just off the scenic via Bolgherese at the heart of this dynamic appellation located on the shores of northern Tuscany.

Two of Italy’s most important wines are coming online. The 2018 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is being released now and the 2018 Masseto will hit the market later this year in October. We also have the 2018 Ornellaia Bianco (released now), the 2019 Bolgheri Rosso Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia (to be released in September) and the other wines from the Ornellaia program coming soon. The number two wine in the Masseto program, the 2019 Masseto, will be available in the fall.

The 2018 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia sees a historically high percentage of Merlot in the blend. That grape makes up 50% of the wine, with 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and tiny percentages of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. “The Merlot in 2018 was a big surprise, and we thought that a little meat was missing on the bones of the Cabernet Sauvignon,” he says.

The Merlot harvest lasted about three weeks, starting at the end of August and lasting until September 25. The estate has various plots of the grape with different conditions and ripening dates and that explains the long harvest window. The percentage of Merlot in the 2018 Bolgheri Rosso Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia is also greater.

The 2019 vintage represents a return to a more classic Bolgheri taste profile with greater fruit weight, structure and soft tannins. The spring season saw cool weather and rain, causing a two-week delay in the growing cycle. The temperatures warmed up considerably by June, and those delays were quickly overcome. Harvest started the second week of September and lasted until October 4th.

The teams at Masseto and Ornellaia are working toward a sustainability certification with a 360-degree approach aimed at bottle glass weight, renewable energy, recyclable packaging, solar energy and making sure that outsourced suppliers comply to the in-house sustainability protocols.

Recent changes in 2019 have been made to reduce bottle weight across many of the wines including the Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia. The special bottle used for Masseto, based on a unique design and special mold, is quite heavy by today’s standards. Axel does not exclude that the Masseto bottle could also be revised.

Jamessuckling.com | JS 95
Published: Oct 5, 2021

Very attractive aromas of currants, spices and sweet tobacco with some graphite and slate. Full-bodied with a rich and rather dense mouth feel, plenty of fruit and a spicy, dark-chocolate aftertaste. A solid and sturdy second wine from Masseto. Try in 2023. 

Decanter | D 93
Published: Jun 15, 2022
Drink: 2022-2039

Massetino 2019 is the third release of this wine. Rare and in demand, it is mostly Merlot, as with first wine Masseto, but with a less oaky character when young. It has gorgeous fruit concentration, full of dark fruits and restrained chocolate, with straw and a balsamic touch, a grainy mid-palate, then a toasty, angular, dry and austere finish.
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 15.50%
Body: Full
Grapes: 6% Cabernet Franc 94% Merlot

Jancisrobinson.com | JR 16+
Published: Sep 14, 2021
Drink: 2023-2033

94% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc.
Deep ruby colour. Heady, chocolate-coated fruit dominates the nose. This is hedonistic but inviting, and the alcohol is admirably covered by fruit intensity. The palate follows in the same vein. This is muscular and rich in fruit, cassis, dark cherry and milk chocolate all come through. There are some wood tannins too, which are slightly grainy, but the overall balance remains. Broad-shouldered to the finish.

Masseto.com

Climate and vintage
The 2019 growing season was characterised by a highly variable climate, which alternated periods of cold and rain with long bouts of drought and heat.
After a rather normal winter, budding took place during the first week of April. Cold and rainy conditions throughout April and May considerably slowed down the development of the vegetation, delaying flowering up to 10 days later than usual. In June, the climate suddenly turned hot and dry, with peak temperatures of 37°C reached at the end of the month. All summer long the weather remained hot and sunny, with temperatures 2°C higher than average and 45 consecutive days without rain. In the last week of July, the long period of drought was interrupted by two days of rain, bringing back the temperature to the seasonal norm, with ideal conditions for grape ripening.
After another set of rain showers at the beginning of the month, Merlot harvest began on 5th September with the young vines and went on until 20th September under perfect conditions. Harvest was completed with the Cabernet franc on 1st October.

Vinification and ageing 

The grapes were harvested by hand in 15 kg crates. After destemming and light crushing, the grapes were transferred to concrete tanks by gravity, without any pumping. Every single lot of the vineyard was vinified separately. Fermentation occurred spontaneously with wild yeast at temperatures around 25-28°C, with two to three pump-overs a day and délestages when appropriate. Total time in tanks ranged between 21 to 25 days. Malolactic fermentation took place in barrels, with 50% new oak. After the first 12 month of aging the wine was blended and put back into barrels for a further 3 months before bottling.