MASSETO - Tenuta dell Ornellaia IGT 2018
Masseto is one of the most famous Super-Tuscan wines, made entirely from Merlot by Tenuta dell'Ornellaia. Ornellaia is located in the Bolgheri appellation, in Tuscany, Italy. The company was founded in 1981 by Marchese Lodovico Antinori. From 2002 to 2005 the estate was co-owned by Robert Mondavi and Marchesi De Frescobaldi but, since 2005 Frescobaldi has owned it outright. At Ornellaia, the concept of environmental sustainability, understood as the use of the soil’s natural fertility, can be identified in various practices and limited measures implemented in the vineyards, with the aim of promoting the biodiversity of the species cultivated. The estate director of Masseto is Axel Heinz.
In the winery, minimum intervention is the keyword. The extraordinarily concentrated grapes need no sophisticated winemaking but simple operations. Soft infusion rather than aggressive extraction, to help express the richness without heaviness or roughness. Everything in the winery has been designed for that purpose - gentle transfer of the grapes without any pumps, taking advantage of the natural gravity flow, and tanks shaped to favour efficient maceration without the need for aggressive extraction. The ageing of the wines is carried out in small barriques of French oak. Masseto can easily cope with new oak and found its perfect balance after 24 months of ageing but while these parameters have become the norm, the team has not refrained from shortening the stay in barrel or lowering the amount of new oak when the vintage required it.
Grape variety: 100% Merlot