Masseto 2014

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto.

Ornellaia is a Bordeaux-inspired Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend, while Masseto is 100% Merlot made from a few select blocks on the large, sprawling property. In recent years, the estate has worked towards the goal of establishing Ornellaia and Masseto as two separate wineries. For that reason, Ornellaia and Masseto are very rarely shown together.

The 2014 Vintage at Ornellaia & Masseto

The 2014 vintage will remain as one of the most particular in Masseto’s history. A warm and rainy winter was followed by a mild, dry spring that permitted a normal vegetative development with a timely and even flowering. After regular conditions in July, August was rainy and cold, creating difficulty for the grapes to ripen and increasing the risk of diseases. However, the meticulous work carried out in the vineyard, including leaf removal and treatments throughout the month of August, allowed the grapes to arrive in excellent condition for harvest in September and October when the weather was mostly sunny and dry. As always, great terroirs tell their own story, and in 2014 the blue clays of Masseto showed their capacity to a full by swelling and making the soils impenetrable, thus avoiding excessive accumulation of water and the dilution of the grapes. During the harvest a very careful selection of bunches was essential and some specific vineyard blocks were harvested in up to three different stages. A strict selection was also made on the sorting table, in order to fill the tanks with only perfect grapes. 2014 represents to date the latest and longest harvest in the history of Masseto. Starting on 5th September and ending on 7th October.

TASTING NOTES: In a vintage where the quality of the terroir, the patience and rigor of the workers made it possible to achieve full ripening, Masseto 2014 represents a most elegant and refined expression. Intense in colour the nose immediately reveals complexity and freshness with hints of red berries, sweet spices, and a slight aroma of toasted wood. On the palate silky with a fine, smooth texture, supported by a vibrant fruitiness and a lively acidity, all perfectly integrated. A long, intense finish concludes the tasting

Winemaking

The clusters were hand-picked into 15 kg boxes and then selected by hand on a double sorting table, before and after destemming, and finally softly crushed. In 2016, optical sorting has been introduced in addition to manual selection, in order to further increase the quality of selection. Each grape variety and single vineyard block was vinified separately. Fermentation took place in stainless steel and concrete tanks at temperatures between 26-30°C for two weeks, followed by 10-15 days of maceration on the skins. The malolactic fermentation took place mainly in oak barrels, 70% new and 30% once-used. The wine then remained in barriques, in Ornellaia’s temperature- controlled cellars for about 20 months. After the first 12 months of maturation, the wine was assembled and then returned to the barriques for an additional 8 months. After bottling, the wine aged a further 12 months prior to release.

The following series of vineyards takes you from vineyard, through winemaking during vintage, and, maturation and blending. They generally apply to both Ornellaia and Masseto.

Where in the World is Ornellaia & Masseto?

Ornellaia & Masseto are in the Bolgheri DOC due west of Sienna close to the coast.