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  • Country ranking ?

    258
  • Producer ranking ?

    58
  • Decanting time

    3h
  • When to drink

    now to 2045
  • Food Pairing

    Duck filet with cinnamon biscuit and onion confit

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The Story

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’. This small, exceptional and legendary cru has soon become a collector’s item sold in auctions all over the world. The first vintage was called very simply ‘Merlot’ but, from 1987, it has taken on the name of its vineyard ‘Masseto’.

The Masseto vineyard is a unique place. Blessed with the generosity of a...

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Wine Information

Climate and Harvest 2003

The 2003 growing season was characterised by high temperatures, well above seasonal average, and by scarce rainfall - only 14mm from the end of April through early September. The generous rains of the preceding season , however, had adequately supplied the deep soils with sufficient water reserves to arrive through the summer of 2003. This meant that the harsh conditions of the summer months had less impact on the v...

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Tasting note

color

Full and Dark

flavors

Licorice, Vanilla, Glycerin, New-oak, Cassis and Blackcurrant

nose

Intense

recommend

Yes

taste

Average in Acidity, Warming, Concentrated, Well-Integrated, Full-bodied, Ripe, Firm and Fruity

Written Notes

Dense, dark, near-black colour. The nose is pronounced and packed with sweet jammy fruit and overwhelming cassis, liquorice and new oak aromas. The palate is very full and thick with concentrated fruitiness and high still integrated new vanilla oak influence. A blockbuster wine with firm very ripe tannins, balanced acidity and warming alcohol. Voluptuous mouthfeel and a persistent, with a slight glycerine and tannic finish. Needs a lot of time in the bottle for improved integration. At its peak within five to ten years and will keep there for up to fifteen.
  • 93p

The 2003 Masseto is tremendous tonight. I admit, 2003 is one of my least favorite vintages, and yet the wine is so delicious today. Exotic and opulent to the core, the 2003 shows all of the natural richness of this brutally hot, dry year in its dark, heady, super-ripe flavors. There is not a ton of nuance, but readers could certainly do worse. This is an especially fine showing for the 2003, that much is pretty clear. Harvest took place between August 25 and September 18, a very early start. Ultimately, the winemaking team decided to only use the heart of the Masseto vineyard, 'Masseto Centrale,' in the blend, which lowered production significantly in favor of quality, a strategy that paid off brilliantly.

  • 94p
Ruby red, medium-depth colour. Nose somewhat closed, with ripe fruit, plum, boiled cherry and smoke notes and a hint of medicine. Medium acids, fine, ripe and powdery tannins, and a very ripe fruitiness make for a very big mouthfeel, in which the alcohol is highly integrated. Long finish dominated by spicy tannins, with a cardamom undertone. The presentation is quite balanced for a super hot year. On the other hand, this wine lacks delicacy and nuance precisely because of it. Matures at a fairly young age for drinking and will reach its prime in 3-4 years.
  • 89p
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Information

Origin

Bolgheri, Tuscany

Vintage Quality

Above Average

Value For Money

Good

Investment potential

Below Average

Fake factory

None

Other wines from this producer

La Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia

Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia

Le Volte dell'Ornellaia

Le Volte dell’Ornellaia

Massetino

Ornellaia

Ornellaia Bianco

Ornus dell’Ornellaia

Poggio alle Gazze dell'Ornellaia

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