Masseto 2018
-
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker - Decanter
-
Wine
Spectator
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Masseto 2018 is a wine that perfectly respects its unique terroir and the vintage. Dark in color, with an expressive nose of perfectly ripe cherries, plums, and spicy new oak. The palate is broad and rich as one would expect from Masseto, but shows refined and silky texture that is so typical of 2018. The finish shows great length with a touch of refreshing tannic grip. A particularly elegant version of Masseto that combines richness and elegance.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
This is extremely perfumed with flowers, cherries and blackberries, as well as hints of lavender. It’s full-bodied, yet so refined, linear and racy. Pure silk. The texture is every so polished. Succulent and subtle fruit at the end. New wood showing now. A sophisticated Masseto that shows balance and harmony. Builds with tannins at the finish. Needs time to come completely together. Try after 2025.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Masseto is the vintage surprise few of us could have expected. The season saw rains just before harvest, and vintners were forced into dramatic last-minute decisions and risks. The expert team at Masseto navigated those challenges with deft precision in this first vintage executed in the new winery that is now fully dedicated and engineered to fulfill the expectations of this iconic Merlot from coastal Tuscany. The new gravity-flow building has angular concrete fermentors and an old-fashioned basket press. Dark fruit and ripe blackberry bleed slowly into spice, leather, chocolate and sweet tobacco. The wine shows generous extraction and concentration; however, it remains light and lifted throughout. Welcome Masseto into your new home.
-
Decanter
The 2018 boasts bright, intoxicating intensity of both aroma and flavour. The wine is dark crimson, with plums, bramble fruits and black cherry yet savoury, highlighted by graphite minerality. The subdued character of the new French oak confirms the outstanding fruit concentration. Dense, full, smooth and velvety with great extraction on the mid-palate, it is delicious now, but not without the balance to age for decades, improving complexity.
-
Wine Spectator
Rich and solidly built, this red features black cherry, plum, cedar, vanilla and toasty oak aromas and flavors. A line of refined tannins marks the finish, yet overall this is balanced, remarkably fresh and expressive. Merlot. Best from 2024 through 2043.
Other Vintages
2020- Decanter
-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck - Decanter
-
Wine
Enthusiast
-
James
Suckling - Decanter
-
Robert
Parker - Vinous
-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Spectator
-
James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker - Decanter
-
Wine
Spectator -
Wine
Enthusiast
-
Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator
-
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
Where the Masseto vineyard now stands, there was once a coastal marsh centuries ago, over which clay deposits formed. The clay was covered by thick deposits of gravel, sand and rock fragments. This geologically diverse terroir is one reason Merlot thrives in the Masseto vineyard. Another contributor is the combination of Mediterranean sun and a gentle wind that keeps the temperatures moderate during the summer. Among the first people to realize the potential of the great terroir of the Masseto hill was the great Russian-American oenologist, André Tchelistcheff, who contributed to the conception of Masseto in the early 1980s. His vision is shared by the vineyard and winemaking staff who pay the utmost attention to every detail in the vineyard and winery.
From the beginning of the harvest to the release of Masseto, three intense years pass, marked by respect of nature and time, constant attention to detail and careful winemaking decisions that best express and respect Masseto's character. The objective for winemaker Axel Heinz is to express both the unmistakable personality of Masseto and the specific character of the vintage.
Legendary in Italy for its Renaissance art and striking landscape, Tuscany is also home to many of the country’s best red wines. Sangiovese reigns supreme here, as either the single varietal, or a dominant player, in almost all of Tuscany’s best.
A remarkable Chianti, named for its region of origin, will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and plenty of cherry fruit character. From the hills and valleys surrounding the medieval village of Montalcino, come the distinguished and age-worthy wines based on Brunello (Sangiovese). Earning global acclaim since the 1970s, the Tuscan Blends are composed solely of international grape varieties or a mix of international and Sangiovese. The wine called Vine Nobile di Montepulciano, composed of Prognolo Gentile (Sangiovese) and is recognized both for finesse and power.