Ornellaia Masseto 2019

Ornellaia Masseto 2019 (Masseto Toscana IGT) is Italy's most famous Merlot and one of the world's most sought-after wines. It comes from a single hill in Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast. The 2019 has been rated 99 points by both James Suckling and Decanter.

Taste and ageing

2019 is dense yet graceful, with dark berries, plum, violet, graphite and dark chocolate. The structure is firm and fine, and the finish very long. A wine for the cellar that will keep for 30 years or more.

Vineyard and winemaking

The Masseto hill has soils of Pliocene blue clay, millions of years old. The clay holds water through the hot summer and gives Merlot power, depth and a cool freshness. The wine is 100% Merlot and is aged for around 24 months in new French barriques before further rest in bottle. It is made in very small quantities.

About Masseto

Masseto was born at Tenuta dell'Ornellaia in Bolgheri in the 1980s, and the first vintage under the name Masseto is 1987. The American wine legend André Tchelistcheff recognised early on the hill's potential for Merlot. Today Masseto is an estate in its own right, with its own cellar inaugurated in 2019, and like Ornellaia it is owned by the Frescobaldi family.

Serving

Serve at 16–18 °C in large glasses, ideally after a couple of hours in a decanter.