Masseto   Masseto

2017 Masseto

By Masseto

2017 Masseto by Masseto, {{SubRegion}}

Acclaimed for its impressive portfolio of absolute excellence, the 2017 Masseto from Masseto is a resounding testament to the exceptional performance of the vineyard in a vintage that presented climatic challenges. The year was characterized by unseasonably warm temperatures, early bud burst and an intensely dry period. However, it's these very conditions that modelled a vintage that positively explodes with vivacity and intensity.

 

A Captivating Wine Investment

Fine wines from Italy undeniably demonstrate investment potential and the 2017 Masseto is no exception. As one would expect from the Merlot grapes grown on the unique blue clay terroir of Masseto’s hillside vineyards, the wine imparts a palpable intensity, balanced by an elegant structure that resounds with investment savvy wine collectors.

Purely approachable but captivating in mystery, each glass parades a deep saturation of ambrosial black fruits; opulent notes of blackberries and ripe cherries intermingled with captivating dashes of plum and sweet spices. Underneath this luxuriant complexity weaves hints of fresh tobacco, hinting at the vintage's wide-stretched sunny days where ripe grapes basked unhindered by rain.

 

The Aura of Italian Mesoclimate

What sets the 2017 vintage even further apart from others is how it has risen above climatic adversity to capture all the mesmerizing elements of a top-quality Tuscan wine. Seemingly severe weather conditions have been embraced, resulting in a wine that exhibits deep concentration, breathtaking freshness and an exquisite maturity that suggests incredible aging potential.

With characteristically marked yet refined tannins, the 2017 Masseto is undeniably firm but not imposing, crowned by a finish that persists with admirable endurance. The resulting profile stands as a testimony to Masseto’s extraordinary finesse in one of Italy’s prime wine regions.

A truly unique investment opportunity unmissable for aficionados of fine Italian wines and a first-rate addition to any expanding collection, the 2017 Masseto summons investors to take part in the story of a vintage crafted from unlikely conditions and served with the richness of Tuscan winemaking grandeur.

Market price (HKD)

HK$61,960.00

12x75cl

Highest score

97

POP score

381.18

Scores and tasting notes

97

The Masseto 2017 Masseto puts on another exhilarating, knock-out performance for the third year in a row. The Masseto vineyard is a triangular-shaped plot tucked in at the back of the same property that houses the Ornellaia vineyards and winery. This special site is located at the base of the mountains that rise gently from the Tyrrhenian Sea, with the picturesque silhouette of the Castiglioncello castle at the top. The vines are planted at an altitude of 80 to 100 meters above sea level in blue clay soils that are unique to Bolgheri. That ideal position opens the vineyards to soft breezes, proximity to the sea, long daylight hours and cool diurnal shifts from the protective wall of low mountains at the back. It's a little garden of Merlot Eden. The center of the vineyard now is home to the new Masseto winery and an adjacent tasting room built into a pre-existing farmhouse. This wine was made in the old winery (the existing Ornellaia winery). Fermentation kicks off in a combination of steel and oak tanks before the wine is racked over to barrique, where it rests for two years. The wine then goes into bottle for 12 months before its release. Like most vintages of Masseto tasted this early in the game, the oak is omnipresent, and it grounds the wine in terms of texture and structure. It is powerful, but that's always the case with Masseto (this vintage records a 15.5% alcohol content). I tasted this wine next to the decidedly more playful Massetino, and the Masseto moves over the palate with substantial fruit weight and concentration gained over the course of this hot and dry growing season (which produced smaller, richer and more compact berries). Perhaps, what this vintage lacks is that profound varietal character that we saw in recent vintages like 2016 and 2015. If concerned that the hot vintage would draw out too many ripe fruit tones, the oak serves to soften some of the more volatile components of the fruit. Those distinctive notes of macchia mediterranea (wild bush) that I always associate with Masseto are less present in this vintage. You feel the oak tannins on the finish with toast and vanilla that will certainly shed as the wine ages. In fact, I went back to taste the wine 12 hours later, and they had already softened considerably. This 2017 vintage will be released in October 2020.

Monica Larner - The Wine Advocate, 21 May 2020

Vintage performance