Winemaker Notes
Masseto 2023 has a deep ruby color featuring violet reflections that convey the youth and vitality of the vintage. It is a bright, vibrant color that fully embodies the depth of this wine. The nose opens with dark, juicy fruits such as blackberries and ripe cherries, subsequently leaving room for notes of black pepper, a hint of sweet tobacco and graphite. On the palate, the wine flows with assurance and elegance. The young tannins are noticeable, but already polished. The acidity gives momentum and freshness, supporting a deep and vibrant fruit. The mouthfeel is harmonious and enveloping, but never overdone. Masseto 2023 is a wine of balance and character, destined to come into its own in the years ahead.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Bottled in the first week of December 2025, the 2023 Masseto is deeply expressive and layered, with aromas of wet stone, mint, vanilla, and petrichor, alongside a striking sense of chalky minerality. As it opens, notes of lavender oil, juniper, rosemary, and Amarena cherry coated in dark chocolate emerge with remarkable clarity. Full-bodied, it delivers power without weight, combining opulence with restraint. The tannins are finely structured, the acidity vibrant, and the length profound. This is a vintage built on precision and energy, with a structure that will reward patience over the long term. Drink 2028-2050.
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James Suckling
Intense, dark and meaty style with vibrant elegance of balsamic whiffs, clove and slight florals, with a mix of plums and cassis and graphite minerality in depth. The attack is impressive for its suppleness and silky texture, with elegant tannins, graceful brilliant acidity and toasty flavors of cocoa-milk, sweet tobacco and fruits. Endless aftertaste. Best after two-three years but drinkable now as well.
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Wine Spectator
Ripe plum, black cherry, coffee, cedar and vanilla swirl around in this polished, sophisticated red, accented by a hint of Bourbon. Expands on the palate, displaying terrific harmony and grace, with a long, complex and spice-tinged aftertaste. So smooth that you may want to pull the cork now, but this should be better in five years. Merlot. Best from 2030 through 2050.
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Vinous
The 2023 Masseto, 100% Merlot, is a young wine that still needs time to come together. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, chocolate, new leather, licorice and a kiss of French oak race across the palate. I find the tannins a bit large-grained relative to most years. This is a transitional vintage for Masseto. The oak imprint very clearly speaks to a vintage with a bit less structure than the very top years. I am very interested to see how the 2023 develops in bottle. Aging was 24 months in French oak, 70% new.
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.