Masseto 2016

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia

Units	Size	Case size	GBP Price:	Quantities	Buy
9	75cl Bottle	Case 3	£2,150 per Case	Cases	[Add to shopping basket]

Tasting Notes
This is so solid and powerful with incredible vertical dense that goes down and down on the palate. Compacted and thick with caressing and polished tannins that are powerful yet refined. Super concentration yet agile and energetic. This is a wine that needs time to come together and resolve all of its amazing components. Reminds me of the legendary 2001. Try after 2023. Score: 100 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Maturity: 2023+ 19 June 2019
So intense on the nose already with black olives, blackberries, blueberries and spices. Hints of sea salt. Full-bodied, yet so tight and refined. The texture is extraordinary. Character on the palate mirrors the nose, showing the same, incredible length and complexity. Score: 99 - 100 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 14 September 2017
A flashy style, featuring concentrated yet fluid flavors of blackberry, plum, violet, cedar and iron, wrapped in toasty, vanilla-scented oak. The acidity is vibrant and refined, but dense tannins provide support as this cruises to a long finish. When Tenuta dell'Ornellaia was founded, a portion of the estate's Merlot vines was planted on an outcropping of blue clay. The wine from this parcel was so distinctive that in 1987 it was made as a single-variety bottling: Masseto was born. Now, 30 vintages later, it has proven itself as Italy's greatest Merlot. In April of this year, a new winery dedicated to Masseto opened its doors, starting a new chapter for this iconic Merlot. Best from 2022 through 2045. Score: 97 Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator Maturity: 2022-2045 23 May 2019
Masseto has pulled off back-to-back home runs. This is the first time that an Italian wine has earned 100 points in successive vintages. The 2016 Masseto is a thunderstorm of emotions, but it manages to keep them under perfect control. Like the 2015 Masseto before it, this vintage is a seamless wine of the highest pedigree. It represents an encore performance, continuing the string of successes that is bringing Italy to the forefront of the wine world. The first thing you'll notice is the thickness and concentration of the fruit that makes an immediate impact on all the senses, in terms of appearance, aroma and mouthfeel. There is no overstating the sheer power and richness of this iconic vintage of Italy's groundbreaking Merlot. Despite that considerable mass, this Masseto remains delicate and graceful. You gain better perspective as the wine opens in the glass and reveals deeper layers that were not immediately apparent on first nose: dark fruit, spice, sweet tobacco and black cherry. There is great tightness and laser focus to the fruit. I tasted the 2016 and 2015 vintages together for comparison when I scored this wine, and then I tasted this 2016 edition alone about a month later to confirm my impressions. These vintages are identical twins, two perfect wines. Score: 100 Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2022-2050 18 April 2019
Tasted from barrel, we can expect this wine to be released in October of next year. The 2016 Masseto is a super star. This wine may just give us an encore performance of the utter perfection and profound beauty displayed in the 2015 edition. These two vintages are very similar in their intensity, depth and dazzlingly intricate aromatic performance. The main difference between 2016 and 2015 is that 2016 has a hair more acidity. You don't actually taste the difference, but that freshness puts a sharper lens on the focus and character of the fruit. Dark berries peel off to reveal smoke, crushed stone, slate and exotic spice. My sample was very open and expressive when I tasted it the last week of August 2018. It is expected to retreat. Masseto goes through a closed period that lasts until before its scheduled release. So, as it turns out, I tasted this barrel sample at an ideal moment. I cannot wait to check its progress next year. Score: 98 - 100 Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2021-2050 06 September 2018
The 2016 Masseto is finishing its aging in barrel. Dark, sumptuous and super-expressive, the 2016 has so much to offer. Expressive aromatics, silky tannins and layered of dark, resonant fruit are some of the signatures. All the elements simply fall into place in a Masseto endowed with terrific balance and class. Score: 94 - 97 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 March 2019

Tasting Notes

This is so solid and powerful with incredible vertical dense that goes down and down on the palate. Compacted and thick with caressing and polished tannins that are powerful yet refined. Super concentration yet agile and energetic. This is a wine that needs time to come together and resolve all of its amazing components. Reminds me of the legendary 2001. Try after 2023.

Score: 100

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Maturity: 2023+ 19 June 2019

So intense on the nose already with black olives, blackberries, blueberries and spices. Hints of sea salt. Full-bodied, yet so tight and refined. The texture is extraordinary. Character on the palate mirrors the nose, showing the same, incredible length and complexity.

Score: 99 - 100

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 14 September 2017

A flashy style, featuring concentrated yet fluid flavors of blackberry, plum, violet, cedar and iron, wrapped in toasty, vanilla-scented oak. The acidity is vibrant and refined, but dense tannins provide support as this cruises to a long finish. When Tenuta dell'Ornellaia was founded, a portion of the estate's Merlot vines was planted on an outcropping of blue clay. The wine from this parcel was so distinctive that in 1987 it was made as a single-variety bottling: Masseto was born. Now, 30 vintages later, it has proven itself as Italy's greatest Merlot. In April of this year, a new winery dedicated to Masseto opened its doors, starting a new chapter for this iconic Merlot. Best from 2022 through 2045.

Score: 97

Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator Maturity: 2022-2045 23 May 2019

Masseto has pulled off back-to-back home runs. This is the first time that an Italian wine has earned 100 points in successive vintages. The 2016 Masseto is a thunderstorm of emotions, but it manages to keep them under perfect control. Like the 2015 Masseto before it, this vintage is a seamless wine of the highest pedigree. It represents an encore performance, continuing the string of successes that is bringing Italy to the forefront of the wine world. The first thing you'll notice is the thickness and concentration of the fruit that makes an immediate impact on all the senses, in terms of appearance, aroma and mouthfeel. There is no overstating the sheer power and richness of this iconic vintage of Italy's groundbreaking Merlot. Despite that considerable mass, this Masseto remains delicate and graceful. You gain better perspective as the wine opens in the glass and reveals deeper layers that were not immediately apparent on first nose: dark fruit, spice, sweet tobacco and black cherry. There is great tightness and laser focus to the fruit. I tasted the 2016 and 2015 vintages together for comparison when I scored this wine, and then I tasted this 2016 edition alone about a month later to confirm my impressions. These vintages are identical twins, two perfect wines.

Score: 100

Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2022-2050 18 April 2019

Tasted from barrel, we can expect this wine to be released in October of next year. The 2016 Masseto is a super star. This wine may just give us an encore performance of the utter perfection and profound beauty displayed in the 2015 edition. These two vintages are very similar in their intensity, depth and dazzlingly intricate aromatic performance. The main difference between 2016 and 2015 is that 2016 has a hair more acidity. You don't actually taste the difference, but that freshness puts a sharper lens on the focus and character of the fruit. Dark berries peel off to reveal smoke, crushed stone, slate and exotic spice. My sample was very open and expressive when I tasted it the last week of August 2018. It is expected to retreat. Masseto goes through a closed period that lasts until before its scheduled release. So, as it turns out, I tasted this barrel sample at an ideal moment. I cannot wait to check its progress next year.

Score: 98 - 100

Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2021-2050 06 September 2018

The 2016 Masseto is finishing its aging in barrel. Dark, sumptuous and super-expressive, the 2016 has so much to offer. Expressive aromatics, silky tannins and layered of dark, resonant fruit are some of the signatures. All the elements simply fall into place in a Masseto endowed with terrific balance and class.

Score: 94 - 97

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 March 2019

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