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SKU 886351
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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.
With its dark blue colored fruits and high juice content, Merlot varietal grapes have long been a favorite of wine producers around the globe, with it being found in vineyards across Europe, the Americas and elsewhere in the New World. One of the distinguishing features of Merlot grapes is the fact that they have a relatively low tannin content and an exceptionally soft and fleshy character, meaning they are capable of producing incredibly rounded and mellow wines. This mellowness is balanced with plenty of flavor, however, and has made Merlot grapes the varietal of choice for softening other, more astringent and tannin-heavy wines, often resulting in truly exceptional produce. Merlot is regarded as one of the key 'Bordeaux' varietals for precisely this reason; when combined with the drier Cabernet Sauvignon, it is capable of blending beautifully to produce some of the finest wines available in the world.
Country
Italy
There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' – the land of wines – so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.
Region
Tuscany
The central Italian region of Tuscany is widely understood to be one of the world's most famous and highly regarded wine regions. The beautiful rolling hillsides and medieval towns and castles which are a key feature of the area are also home to many of Europe's finest wineries, and extremely high quality vineyards growing the distinctive Sangiovese and Vernaccia grape varietals which are the flavorful backbone of Tuscany's wonderful red and white wines. For almost three thousand years, this region has been recognized as an ideal home for wine production on a large scale, and the ancient Etruscans, Greeks and Romans all noticed that fine grape varietals flourished on the unique soils and under the hot sunshine which typifies the area. Today, Tuscany is home to a wide range of wines, from the traditional to the complex, but all dedicated to excellent flavors and aromas, and maintaining the region's international reputation.
Appellation
Bolgheri
Bolgheri, nestled along the sun-soaked Tuscan coast, is a revered wine appellation renowned for producing outstanding red wines. What sets Bolgheri apart is its pioneering role in the creation of “Super Tuscan” wines, challenging traditional Italian winemaking. These wines often blend indigenous Sangiovese with international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, resulting in rich, complex flavors and a remarkable aging potential. Bolgheri’s coastal location influences a distinctive microclimate, characterized by warm days and cool maritime breezes, imparting freshness and structure to the wines. Notably, Sassicaia, born in Bolgheri, stands as a global benchmark for quality. Bolgheri wines, with their innovative spirit and unique terroir, encapsulate the essence of modern Italian winemaking, offering enthusiasts an exciting journey through the evolution of this dynamic appellation.
JS98pts
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.
VM98pts
Vinous Media
The 2018 Masseto is going to be an absolute thrill for readers who follow this iconic Bolgheri Merlot. Silky, mid-weight and supremely gracious, the 2018 reminds me of the 2004 in its aromatic intensity and classic, refined feel. Inky red/purplish fruit, cedar, lavender, espresso, sage and mint are some of the many aromas and flavors that develop with time in the glass. There is so much to like here. More than anything else, I am struck by how ripe and well balanced the tannins are, something that is rare for Masseto, especially in the early going, when the wine can be a bit burly.
As was the case throughout Tuscany, the 2018 Masseto is the product of a cool year with a fair amount of rain in August. The 2018 was made from all of the key vineyard plots, minus the young vine replants. It is the first vintage made at the estate's new winery, which is equipped with concrete fermenters that allow for more flexibility in extraction. Aging was 24 months in French oak, 100% new.
WA97pts
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.
DC97pts
Decanter
In 2018, the bright intensity of both aroma and flavour here is intoxicating. The wine is dark crimson in colour with savoury aromas of plums, bramble fruits and black cherry 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 in complexity as it goes.
WS96pts
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. 300 cases imported.
