2013 Masseto

This wine was tasted as part of a complete retrospective I co-hosted with Masseto winemaker Axel Heinz, singer/songwriter Martina McBride and her husband, producer John McBride that was auctioned off at the Nashville Wine Auction to fund cancer research and treatment.

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 the wine is 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 this article from some years back.

Tuscany's 2014 vintage produced striking whites at Tenuta dell'Ornellaia. That's the good news. Judging by Le Volte and Le Serre Nuove, the reds are shaping up to be much more modest. The 2014 Ornellaia had just been bottled at the time of my visit, and Masseto was still in barrel, so it is too soon to have a view on the entire vintage here. To be sure, the middle of the summer - July and August in particular - were cold and rainy, which made ripeness hard to achieve and also increased disease pressure. The end of the summer and early fall were much more positive, but by then some of the fruit had been compromised. The 2013 Ornellaia and Masseto, on the other hand, continue to develop positively. The wines are restrained in style relative to the norm, but also appear to be holding quite a bit back in reserve. Flowering was late, but there was plenty of heat during the summer. Temperatures turned cooler towards the end of the season which caused large diurnal shifts and gradual ripening, with a harvest that took place between September 9 and October 13, which is on the later side by today's standards.