2021 Massetino
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Tasting notes
The 2021 Massetino has dry peppery spice notes from the high-quality oak. While the nose for now remains quite reserved, the wine has a lovely intensity on the palate. There is fantastic upfront fruit and a super plush mid-palate that you always hope for from a top Merlot. That Italian edge adds textural grip and there is a lovely crunchy freshness to the fruit. It already feels quite approachable and is utterly delicious. It is not as long or as extracted as the 2020 Masseto tasted alongside.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
A deep but transparent red color, the 2021 Massetino is harmonious and pure with aromas of polished leather, red apple, Amarena cherry, violets, and fresh rosemary. It’s penetrating on the palate, with outstanding freshness within this full-bodied red, offering ripe tannins, refreshing acidity, and very nice structure. It boasts a beautiful and clean mineral flourish on the very long and even finish, with a hint of warmth and cocoa on the back palate. It is fabulous already without anything sticking out and captures the warmth of the vintage with a graceful approach, while its liqueur-like fruit lasts for ages on the finish. A fantastic vintage for this wine, drink 2025-2045. The adjacent sister property to Ornellaia, the Masseto estate in Bolgheri produces benchmark wines based on Merlot, with its first vintage in 1987. As noted in this report’s introduction and in the Ornellaia profile, 2023 saw the departure of long-time winemaker and estate director Axel Heinz. Winemaker Gaia Cinnirella is staying on and shows tremendous promise for the estate. Their new winery, which debuted in 2018, was designed by architects Hikaru Mori and Maurizio Zito of the ZitoMori Studio, who named it “The Quarry.” It’s an impressive design, with the exterior blending into the landscape, only to reveal its true grandeur upon entering the winery beneath. One feature of the new winery has been moving away from using stainless steel, which they found could contribute to reductive qualities. Instead, 20 to 25% of the wine is now fermented in concrete tanks, with the remainder in oak barrels. The concrete also takes on some of the qualities of barrel fermentation, without adding the additional flavors that barrels would contribute. The oldest vines are currently approaching 40 years old, and in newer vintages, Cabernet Franc they planted more recently has been making its way into the wines. My tasting took place at the winery with Gaia Cinnirella.
90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Parcel-by-parcel spontaneous fermentation in concrete tanks at around 25–28 °C, with pumping over two or three times a day and délestages where necessary. The total time in tank ranged from 21 to 25 days. Malolactic fermentation in barriques, with 50% new oak. After the first 12 months of ageing, the wine was blended and returned to barriques for a further three months before bottling. Chocolate and violet perfume on the nose. There is a delicate opulence to the palate, with cashmere tannins and slightly fudgy fruit. Plenty of spice and ripeness, perhaps a little too much make-up for the fruit. (TP)
The 2021 Massetino is a supremely elegant and gracious wine. Silky tannins caress a core of blackberry, espresso, mocha, licorice, cloves and lavender. All the elements are so nicely balanced in this super-appealing, racy second wine from Masseto,
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.