1999 Masseto (collection)
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Tasting notes
A very special vintage with lots of blue still in the colour. Very cold winter. Late budbreak, no summer stress. Cooler vintage. Glowing deep colour. Just a tiny bit tired on the palate. Marco excuses it: ‘the grapes were perhaps less phenolically ripe then than nowadays.’ There’s some green-fruit flavour here. But also a little bit of age. It’s very different from today’s vintages, rather rude drying finish. Just a little brutal. (JR)
Critic scores
Robert Parker
The Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Well, there is a lot of competition in this flight. The 1999 Masseto is another epic wine. Swaths of tannin give the 1999 a real sense of energy to match its decidedly virile, inward personality. Dark and brooding, the 1999 doesn’t quite have the volume of the 2001, the power of the 2006 nor the finesse of years like 2004, but it is nevertheless superb in a slightly burlier style than those wines. (AG)
This is sometimes overlooked by Masseto lovers. It shows the precision and finesse of a top Masseto with firm tannins and bright blueberry and violet character with a long fresh finish. It's full-bodied, and so very polished with wonderful texture. Drink or hold. Decant a couple of hours before serving.
About the producer
Established in the 1980s by Lodovico Antinori on the advice of André Tchelistcheff, Masseto was one of Tuscany’s first pure Merlot wines. Sibling to Ornellaia, the Super Tuscan is often considered the Pétrus of Italy – offering powerful, perfumed wines that are highly sought-after by collectors.