Masseto wine 2001 tasting notes1/4/2024 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia makes outstanding wines even in poor vintages - better than any other. After bottling, the wine was aged for an additional 12 months prior to release. The wine was then blended and reintroduced into the barrels for another year, making a total of 24 months. Afterwards, malolactic fermentation took place in 100% new oak barrique, and the different lots were kept separate for the first 12 months of maturation. Fermentation took place in both steel and wood tanks, followed by 15-20 days maceration at a temperature between 25 and 30° C. Six different lots were vinified separately. The bunches, hand harvested in 15kg crates, were carefully sorted by hand on a double sorting table before and after destemming and then subjected to a gentle crushing. Lastly, the lower rows grow on less clayey soil which lends the wine its fullness, warmth and generosity. In the sloping part of the vineyard (with about a 10% gradient), grey clay predominates and gives the wine its structural backbone. At the top of the hill, at around 120 metres above sea level, the loosest ground is made up of clay and sand with numerous pebbles and, this contributes to the elegant nature of the wine. The wine is the synthesis of its singular 7 hectare vineyard formed of three types of soil. The gentle breezes coming off the sea during the war summer months, the intensity of the sunlight and the specificity of the unique soils, allow the vines to develop and ripen gradually and contribute to granting Masseto its enchanting combination of freshness and ripeness. Blessed with the generosity of a Mediterranean climate, this small vineyard enjoys breath-taking views, which stretch to the Tuscan coast, and a mosaic of different soils including an exceptional presence of grey clay. The first vintage was called very simply ‘Merlot’ but, from 1987, it has taken on the name of its vineyard ‘Masseto’. This small, exceptional and legendary cru has soon become a collector’s item sold in auctions all over the world. Any lover of red wine should be incredibly proud to have these wines in their collection.Masseto was born ‘almost by chance’ in 1986 when it was decided to vinify the Merlot from the Masseto vineyard alone as it ‘promised well’. No matter the year, Masseto produces cellar-defining masterpieces. Massetino, the second wine, is equally stunning, and would be the crowning bottle at nearly any other estate on the planet. Historically composed of 100% Merlot-but now containing a small portion of Cabernet Franc-this wine is on par with the great First Growths. Now owned by the Frescobaldi family, little has changed at Masseto. In 1991, the consulting winemaker role passed to Rolland, and the 2001 vintage earned perfect scores from both Wine Spectator and James Suckling, who concluded his review by saying: “Enjoy this for the rest of your life.” Finally, in 1984, he followed Tchelistcheff’s advice, and the Masseto hill was planted-purely to Merlot.Įarly vintages of Masseto won devoted fans and collectors. Antinori was ambivalent, since the grape was all but unheard of in Tuscany. Lodovico Antinori’s inspiration for his first Bordeaux-style wine was his own cousin’s Sassicaia, so he set about creating a competitor that would also consist largely of Cabernet Sauvignon.īut his property, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, had one anomalous 17-acre section: a hilltop that Tchelistcheff knew was ideal not for Cabernet Sauvignon, but for Merlot. The hill was planted to Merlot in the 1980s at the direction of legendary winemaker André Tchelistcheff, and now, with winemaking overseen by Right Bank Bordeaux guru Michel Rolland, Masseto stands equal to any collectible wine in the world. On our last visit to the legendary Ornellaia estate, we were awestruck by the Masseto hill, where vineyards produce some of the most precious and ageworthy wine on the planet. The full body is incredibly smooth, with polished tannins and an ideal touch of oak. The body is flush with red and black fruit, pipe tobacco, lavender, cocoa butter, toasted spices, and new leather. A bold Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Franc, it reveals itself on the nose, giving off opulent aromas of ripe cherry, plums, boysenberry, chocolate, and a lifted floral component. The long finish lasts well beyond expectations. Flavors of black cherry, blueberries, bittersweet chocolate, toasted spices like nutmeg and clove on the palate, with layers of damp earth and porcini mushrooms lingering under the ripe fruit and tobacco. The body is smooth and dense, with rounded tannins and a silky texture. The palate demonstrates the power and majesty of the famed Merlot. Effusive and generous on the nose, brimming with dark cherries, licorice, toasted bay, dried plums, cocoa, and baking spice.
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