Complete Masseto
Retrospective at the Country Music Hall of Fame

BY ANTONIO GALLONI&nbsp;| JANUARY 06, 2020Well, I have to hand it to the Nashville Wine Auction and
President/CEO Holly Whaley. They really knew how to get me to say ‘yes’ to
participating in a Masseto tasting in Nashville. Wine, guitars and country
music, all for cancer research and treatment. That will get me every time. I was thrilled to co-host
this complete Masseto retrospective with winemaker Axel Heinz,
singer/songwriter Martina McBride and her husband, producer John McBride. It
was a phenomenal weekend.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1578329994738-Bottles1Cover_copy.jpg"> 

Our first day kicked off with a tour of the <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/beyond-wine-visiting-gibson-guitars-nashville-custom-shop-jul-2018">Gibson Custom
Shop</a>, which was a real thrill for many reasons. I bought my first Gibson, a
cherry red ES-335, in high school, using pretty much all the savings I had at
the time. The Nashville Custom Shop, one of two such facilities Gibson
operates, focuses on solid body guitars and archtops. It’s a no frills visit,
as the Custom Shop is not really set up for tours. Instead, Product Specialist
Mat Koehler took us through some of the main workstations, where we met a number of craftspeople, many of whom had worked at Gibson for decades,&nbsp;and had a chance to see Gibson’s rich history on display first-hand, including
a lot of very well worn-in machine tools.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1578330015918-GibsonCustomShop_copy.jpg"> 

Necks are glued to bodies and air-dried at this station at the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville.

I was also able to play several instruments right on the
floor. Quite honestly, I could have spent the entire day at the shop, but our
hosts had a jam-packed day planned for us. Our tour ended in a showroom with a
number of instruments on display. “Hold on a sec, I’ve got something for you to
try,” Koehler said. A few minutes later, he returned with two SGs. “These just
came off the floor,” he added. Heinz, a super-talented guitarist himself, and I
took turns checking them out. The first was gorgeous. The second, though, a
1961 Les Paul/SG re-issue, was pure magic. As soon as I picked it up, I knew I
had to have it. Light, fast and loud, with superb intonation, this particular
SG had everything I look for in an electric guitar, most notably volume and
resonance when played unplugged. It sounded and felt great. When it was first
released, the 1961 was a controversial guitar. Believe it or not, the SG was
first developed as the ‘new’ model of the Les Paul, which was experiencing
sagging sales. Today, late 1950s Les Pauls are one of the Holy Grails of
electric guitars, but that was not at all the case back then. So, Gibson created
the SG/Les Paul, with its thin body and sharp double cutaways,&nbsp;to spice things up. Namesake Les Paul himself hated the new
design and insisted his name be taken off. It turns out both Les Paul and
Gibson were right. The Les Paul guitar became an icon, while the SG went on to
become Gibson’s all-time best-selling model. Anyway, that history was
fascinating to think about as Koehler showed us the original pencil-drawn
sketches for the 1961 Les Paul/SG. I was not allowed to take photos, but seeing
those drawings was such a great experience.

From there, we had a good, old-fashioned Southern lunch
before heading over to <a target="_blank" href="https://cartervintage.com/">Carter Vintage Guitars</a>,
one of the country’s top dealers of rare and vintage instruments. Here, too, we
were so spoiled, as we had the run of the shop. Old Fenders…I played a bunch of
Esquires and Telecasters in a room full of them. Then it was a number of
Gretsches before I spent some time with a gorgeous Gibson doubleneck. What an
incredible shop. I can’t wait to go back.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1578330054240-AGMassetoCollage.png"> 

Playing a Gibson doubleneck&nbsp;at Carter Vintage Guitars and a super-rare 1940s Martin at Belmont University.Our next stop was the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thegigatbelmont.com/">Gallery of Iconic Guitars</a> at
Belmont University. This remarkable museum was founded with a gift of 500
guitars bequeathed by Steven Kern Shaw, the grandson of Jerome Kern, one of
America’s most famous composers of musical theater. It houses a breathtaking
array of instruments, including several guitars and mandolins autographed by
Lloyd Loar, who designed Gibson’s iconic L-5 guitar and L-5 mandolin. But the
Gallery of Iconic Guitars is much more than a museum, it is more of a living
collection. Shaw very much wanted these instruments to be used rather than sit
in storage, and so the guitars are available for students of the university to
check out, sort of like library books, although I imagine there is a bit more
to it than that. Axel Heinz and I had the chance to play a few super-rare
Martin flattops from the 1940s and 1950s with several students. It was a great
way to wrap up the afternoon. 

Blackbird Studio is one of the preeminent recording and
sound mixing facilities in the world. It was a real treat to enjoy a casual
dinner and some fabulous wines with some of the Auction’s biggest supporters. That
was the prelude to a tour of the studio that culminated with John McBride
sharing the latest technology in sound mixing with a series of re-mastered recordings&nbsp;of iconic songs from Queen, Michael Jackson and the Beatles. What an incredible experience to be at Blackbird, and to breathe in the air that has inspired so many iconic recordings.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1578330157861-CountryMusicHallofFame_copy.jpg"> 

The Rotunda at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

The next day we gathered at the Rotunda at the Country Music
Hall of Fame for the main event. A complete retrospective of Masseto is not the
sort of thing that happens every day. First made in 1986 as Il Merlot
dell’Ornellaia, Masseto has gone on to 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 aged for another 12 months in wood. Earlier
vintages saw shorter macerations and less time in oak, broadly speaking.
Production is around 32,000 bottles. Readers who want to learn more about the
history of Masseto might enjoy <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/tenuta-dell-ornellaia-masseto-a-complete-retrospective-1986-2008-sep-2011">this article</a> from some years back.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1578330076580-TaylorsAxelALEtc_copy.jpg"> 

From left to right: Alessandro Lunardi, Masseto Director - North America, Steve Taylor, Estate Director and&nbsp;Winemaker Axel Heinz, Pam&nbsp;Taylor, Antonio Galloni.

Steve and Pam Taylor, two of the biggest supporters of the Nashville
Wine Auction, generously donated nearly all of the bottles for this tasting,
with the estate adding a few of the harder-to-find vintages. As I always do
with large retrospective such as this one, the wines were grouped into thematic
flights rather than served chronologically – but I won’t take credit for
actually naming the flights. Andy Chabot, Wine Director at Blackberry Farm, led
a team of expert sommeliers through the daunting task of serving all of these
wines over the course of dinner. I tasted through all of the wines before the
event started.

Challenges – Masseto 2002, 2005, 2003, 1991 &amp; 1992

These were all cool, rainy years, with the exception of the
torrid 2003, which was the exact opposite. I must say, I really like Masseto in
the cooler vintages, especially the recent cooler years. In the 1990s, the
vines were still young, but 15 years later it is another story, both with
regards to vine age and also the knowledge that is acquired over time. Masseto
is a naturally rich wine, but in vintages like 2002 and 2005, more moderate
weather provides a fabulous balance.

Charming &amp; Engaging – Masseto 2014, 2000, 1994, 1989
&amp; 1987

This flight was all about vintages that are ready to drink. I
thought the 1994 was just sublime, but was also quite surprised by how well the
1987 had held up. The 2000
was also very much ready to go. The 2014, on the other hand, is a Masseto that
still has many chapters in its history to write.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1578330093070-ElizaandMartina_copy.jpg"> 

With Eliza Kraft Olander and Martina McBride.

La Grande Eleganaza – Masseto 2013, 2007, 2004, 1996
&amp; 1995

This flight explored a number of Massetos built more on
finesse rather than power, although the 2007 was perhaps a bit of an outlier
here. The 2004 was profoundly great, as it so often is. I also loved the 2013,
one of the all-time greats. I found the 1996 and 1995 polar opposites; the former
austere and unyielding, the latter racy and sublime to the core.

Future Legends – Masseto 2012, 2011, 2009 &amp; 2008

Of these four young Massetos, my vote is for the 2008. That
wine was so tight and unyielding when it was young, and yet in every subsequent
tasting it has gotten better and better. There is also something about the 2012
that is incredibly appealing, especially in the aromatics.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1578330108182-Vineyard_copy.jpg"> 

The Masseto vineyard, Bolgheri.

Classics for Tomorrow – Masseto 2010, 2006, 2001 &amp;
1999

This grouping was the first of two flights dedicated to the
all-time great vintages. I had a hard time picking a favorite, but the 2010 and
2006 are clearly towering and profound. Our bottle of the 2001 was not perfect.
Maybe it’s time to taste them all side-by-side again….<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1578330139043-VintagesMasseto_copy.jpg"> 

A complete retrospective of Masseto does not happen every
day.

Classics for Today – Masseto 1998, 1997, 1990, 1993 &amp;
1988

This flight explored legendary Massetos with age. Every
bottle was magnificent. If forced to choose, I loved the 1998 for its opulence
and the 1988 for its sense of classicism. Both were sublime, but the other
wines in the flight were nearly as compelling.

All of these wines were tasted in January 2018. It’s always hard to
know where in the calendar to slot in articles like this one that are about
more than just wine, especially considering I had just done a big Ornellaia and
Masseto write up the year before. I trust readers will find value in the
tasting notes.<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/wines?sort%5Bdirection%5D=asc&amp;sort%5Bname%5D=id&amp;wine_filter%5Barticle_id%5D=2491&amp;wine_filter%5Bproducer_id%5D=4279&amp;producer=true">See the Wines in the Order Tasted</a><hr>You Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/san-giusto-a-rentennano-la-ricolma-a-complete-retrospective-dec-2019">La Ricolma: A Complete Retrospective</a>, Antonio Galloni, December 2019 

<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/beyond-wine-visiting-gibson-guitars-nashville-custom-shop-jul-2018">Beyond Wine: Visiting Gibson Guitars’ Nashville Custom Shop</a>, Antonio Galloni, July 2018 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/ornellaia-and-masseto-1995-2010-from-magnum-jan-2017">Ornellaia
&amp; Masseto: 1995-2010 From Magnum</a>, Antonio Galloni, January 2017

<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/vinous-event-soldera-vertical-in-london-oct-2016">Soldera Vertical in London</a>, Antonio Galloni,
October 2016

<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/tenuta-dell-ornellaia-masseto-a-complete-retrospective-1986-2008-sep-2011">Tenuta dell’Ornellaia: Masseto – A Complete Retrospective
1986-2008</a>, Antonio Galloni, April 2011

<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/ornellaia-a-major-retrospective-1985-2006-dec-2009">Ornellaia: A Major Retrospective 1985-2006</a>,
Antonio Galloni, December 2009

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