2016 Masseto
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Tasting notes
Super-tight, with everything clinging closely like lycra on a body builder. Black fruit, tar, thick-set body yet the tannins are much easier to drink than the 2015. Lugubrious! Slow, viscous finish. Very good indeed, although needs serious futurology to see the currently hidden complexity. This is not even at base camp yet, let alone the summit. (RH)
Critic scores
James Suckling
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Another very good vintage: regular summer, cooler than 2021. Crop a bit bigger. Lustrous deep crimson. Heady, aromatic, sweetly perfumed. Lifted and lively. Really quite racy with the fruit to the fore – even though there is still quite a bit of tannin. Much more transparent than the 2021. Sophisticated, very well balanced with a savoury finish. Tastes of blackcurrant compote. (JR)
The 2016 Masseto is simply stunning. Fresh, vibrant and full of energy, the 2016 dazzles from start to finish. I can’t remember tasting a young Masseto with this combination of fruit density and silkiness. Just as it was from barrel, the 2016 Masseto is a wine of magnificent balance and proportion. The polish and sensuality of the tannins is simply remarkable for a young Masseto, especially compared to just a few years ago, when Masseto was often a bruiser right out of the gate. Two thousand sixteen was a year with a long summer and some drought, but no real extremes. Acidity is in line with vintages like 2006, but gentler winemaking with fewer pumpovers than in the past has given birth to a wine that is more finessed than those of the preceding decade.
The 2016 Masseto is simply stunning. Fresh, vibrant and full of energy, the 2016 dazzles from start to finish. I can't remember tasting a young Masseto with this combination of fruit density and silkiness. Just as it was from barrel, the 2016 Masseto is a wine of magnificent balance and proportion. The polish and sensuality of the tannins is simply remarkable for a young Masseto, especially compared to just a few years ago, when Masseto was often a bruiser right out of the gate. Two thousand sixteen was a year with a long summer and some drought, but no real extremes. Acidity is in line with vintages like 2006, but gentler winemaking with fewer pumpovers than in the past has given birth to a wine that is more finessed than those of the preceding decade.
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.