This wine needs an introduction, but not the one you expect. Italy, Spain and France are the three big gorillas in global wine production, each with about 15% market share, i.e., 4bn liters of the 25bn liters produced globally. Yet, on the secondary market (auctions and brokers) where wine aficionados and collectors buy the most sought after bottles, France trumps with 75% markets share, Italy only has ca. 12% and Spain is a complete also ran with 1% (for reference: USA is 10%). So, you if you follow the money you can safely say that France makes the majority of the great wines of the world while Italy and Spain mainly make table wines for your Tuesday spaghetti. I know this will shock and infuriate many readers but I can’t change the statistics for you. They speak loud and clear and one of the reasons for this are wines like Masseto. Let me explain why.
In the three gorilla countries wine needed to be cheap and available in mass because historically wine accompanied almost every meal and therefore it had to be as cheap as Coke or beer, otherwise a large part of the population could not have afforded this cultural habit. France was the first nation way back in history, proven by the 1855 Bordeaux classification, who realized wine at the top end can also be a luxury gastronomic product, but you have to run your operation in a completely different way. Focus on quality, forgo high yields, etc. we know the playbook. As a result France pulled away with their top wines, leaving Spain and Italy in the dust.
It took all the way to 1968/1971 until Tenuta San Guido (with Sassicaia) and Antinori (with Tignanello) decided to deliberately make a high end wine in their region – and by using French grapes for that, they damaged Italy as a wine brand forever. For Italy as a wine country, it was one of the worst decision ever made. See, in France the regions trump the producers, everyone works together. Bordeaux’s AOC come first, then comes Lafite, Champange AOC comes first, then comes Dom Perignon. Through that, when Lafite Rothschild makes it big globally, all of Bordeaux wines become prestigious, but when Antinori or Frascobaldi make top dollar with their “Italian-wine-made-with-French-Grapes”, neither Chianti, Burnello or Sangiovese benefit from that fame. A pity for Italy.
I am not saying that Super Tuscans are bad wines but as can be seen in the secondary market, sophisticated collectors do not place the same prestige on a Italian wine produced with French grapes than French wines produced with French grapes. I agree. If you go to Italy then you should seek out the full Italian experience with top Sangiovese (Soldera, Poggio die Sotto, Cerbaiona, Biondi Santi, etc.) or top Nebbiolo (Giacomo Conterno, Giuseppe Rinaldi, Bartolo Mascarello, Burlotto, etc.). That is the issue with Super-Tuscans. My recommendation for wine connoisseurs is therefore: If your cellar is full of Super-Tuscans, you may have taken the wrong turn in your collection. Instead, explore Italian wines with indigenous grapes. I have given you a few names above to start.
Now back to Masseto. Produced by the Frescobaldi family, Masseto has become one of the world’s most iconic Merlot-based wines, crafted from a single vineyard on the Masseto Hill in Bolgheri. In top years it can be up there with the best Pomerol. Global warming is creating viticulturist challenges though as Bolgheri is becoming too hot to make balanced Merlot. The Swiss wine merchant Arvi SA organized a comprehensive tasting at their headquarters in Melano/Ticino, Switzerland with the wine maker team from Tenuta de’l Ornellaia were present. Both are owned by Frescobaldi, but Masseto is run as its own operation. It was a remarkable evening, very professionally run and the the Masseto from the milestone , well organized event.
Tasting Notes
The Masseto vineyard
Flight 1: In the Beginning- Flight 2: The Challenging Vintages
1987 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 91 Points
Lots of wood in the nose with dark fruits. Medium bodied with soft tannins. Not bad at all for the first vintage.
1988 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 90 Points
Quite warm and roasted nose, lots of heat initially but then getting better. On the palate dark fruit but with a bit too much tannin for a higher score.
1989 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 88 Points
Discrete nose with dark fruit dominating. On the palate elegant but with quite a lot of acidity and tannins in the mid palate.
1991 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 86 Points
From the challenging vintage the technical director mentioned. Slightly wood nose, on the palate a bit thin and in the style of a drinkable but harmless Merlot.
1990 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 88 Points
Discrete nose, not much aroma coming through. On the palate there is quite some heat and acidity that overlays the fruit, a bit dry finish.
Flight 2: The Challenging Vintages
1992 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 93 Points
Again from a not so easy vintage the technical director mentioned. Very complex and expressive nose of dark fruit, plum, caramel. On the palate dense and complex. Very fine Merlot indeed.
2002 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT Flawed
From a not so easy vintage the technical director mentioned. Medicinal, minty, leafy nose with cork smell developing more and more. On the palate still quite drinkable but with strong acidity. Not a representative bottle the technical director mentioned.
2003 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 90 Points
From a not so easy vintage the technical director mentioned. Very ripe nose, typical for 2003 with the licorice and a bit of cooked fruit. On the palate very sweet lacking a bit of acidity and tannic spine. Still not overly bad for this hot summer. I guess for regular new world drinkers this is quite acceptable.
2005 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 85 Points
From a not so easy vintage the technical director mentioned. Discrete almost muted nose. On the palate dense with licorice and very strong acidity. Not really balanced and aromatically not complex.
Flight 3: To Drink Now and Tomorrow
1993 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 89 Points
Bordeaux like nose of wood, forest and dark fruits. On the palate slightly thin and woody but this one would go great with food as it is not so overpowering.
1994 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 92 Points
Expressive, complex nose again with a bit of a right bank profile. On the palate quite balanced and very drinkable. Good food wine.
1995 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 85 Points
Nose of dark berries and caramel. On the palate quite meager and a bit dying. Not really a great showing on this occasion.
1996 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 87 Points
Expressive, aromatic nose of dark berries, oak and spices. On the palate good freshness but drying tannins.
2000 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 89 Points
From a challenging vintage the technical director mentioned. Discrete nose revealing little, dark fruit and a touch of oak. Good entry on the palate, nice middle but a little dryin and acidic on the finish.
1999 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 88 Points
Discrete nose of dark fruit with a bit of oak. On the palate slightly overripe tones with iodine and kitchen herbs.
The Masseto winery
Flight 4: Milestones
1997 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 94 Points
Distinctively wood nose, with toast and ripe fruit aroma. On the palate again warm and exotic with dark fruit and some good secondary aromas. Very good but a bit of a crowd pleaser.
1998 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 88 Points
Expressive nose of dark fruit and wood. On the palate medium bodied with ok balance but not really grand, a bit of iodine on the finish
2001 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 96+ Points
Outstanding nose of dark fruit, spices, toast and oak, very complex. On the palate soft tannins good acidity, full bodied mouth feel and exuberant aromas. For me one of the best Masseto of the night. Impressive Merlot indeed., 96-97
2004 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 95 Points
Expressive nose of dark fruit, minerals and toast. On the palate very dense with ripe tannins, quite new worldish but with enough structure to support it.
Flight 5: Present and Future
2006 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 96 Points
Expressive nose of exotic aromas with dark fruit, licorice, oak. Dens and aromatic on the palate with very good balance. An outstanding Masseto and great Merlot, I guess they should have served something like this to the guy in “Sideways”…
2007 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 95 Points
Expressive nose of dark fruit, almost with a bit of Rhone aromatics. On the palate more medium bodied for a Masseto but well balanced. For me this was the best food Masseto of the strong vintages as it is not too overpowering.
2008 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 97 Points
Expressive and aristocratic nose with cool and fresh notes, dark fruit, and minerals. On the palate nice toast aromas with bitter chocolate, good structure and balance. Very well balanced and fresh for a Merlot. My personal favorite together with the 2001, though a completely different style.
2009 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT, 93 Points
Very young nose, clearly primary and not yet overly complex. On the palate good fruit, tannins and acidity. I think this will be in the category of the “very solid” but not exceptional Masseto.
Closing
Thanks again to Arvi and the Tenuta de’l Ornellaia team for making this landmark event possible.
Author: Christian Raubach, WSET III, FWS, WSG Champagne Master
November 2012