2018 Masseto

100 points for a "showstopper of a wine"

A "true myth for collectors" (Decanter)

$798.89 (750ML) - In Stock

Call or email to order

100 JA / 99 DE / 98 VM / 98 JS / 97 WA

Masseto is the finest Merlot in Bolgheri, that much is certain. And it holds its place among the finest Merlot-based wines in all the world. It is an expression of a single vineyard, a single estate with one focus, and a wine that collectors have been seeking out for over 30 years. We are fortunate to have access to some of this amazing wine. Contact me directly if you have interest in getting some of the ‘perfect’ 2018 for your cellar.

“At Masseto, we try to do as little as possible to the wines. Our goal is simply to capture the essence of nature and take it to the highest level. This is about an amazing, very challenging, vineyard and wine made with great simplicity. We have tanks. We have barrels. We have gravity flow. And we have people who care about the wine. That’s it. That’s our philosophy.” - Axel Heinz, winemaker

2018 Masseto

$798.89 (750ML) In Stock

Call (360-350-4896 x8) or email to order

100 JA / 99 DE / 98 VM / 98 JS / 97 WA / 96 WS

#68 James Suckling's Top 100 Italian Wines of 2021

Axel Heinz turning out yet again a wine that is generous and moreish but that goes deeper, offering layers of coffee, smoked herbs, rosemary, saffron, gentle waves of powerful brambled fruits. Mouthwatering, with tension and precision. Finely spun tannin that are elastic in embracing and taming the exuberant fruits yet chewy enough on the finish to show there is plenty of ageing ability ahead. Makes a big impression and yet has that Italian ability to be gulpable at the same time. A more elegant, moreish version of Merlot than you get in the biggest Pomerols, but every bit as beautiful. 11ha. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

This is a showstopper of a wine, and one of the wines of the tasting. Lots of power here but the tannins just glide across the palate, gently with sophistication, with the dense and dark fruit covering the mouth and lingering. Round, ripe and juicy with excellent acidity that enhances the mineral undertones and spicy sides. Extremely well made by winemaker Axel Heinz and one that you just want another glass of immediately. Malolactic fermentation in 100% new oak barrique barrels, keeping the various lots separate for the first 12 months of ageing. The wines are then blended and put back in barrels for another year, totalling 24 months before bottling. Wines are then kept for an additional 12 months before being released. Drinking Window 2025 - 2045. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

The 2018 Masseto is going to be an absolute thrill for readers who follow this iconic Bolgheri Merlot. Silky, mid-weight and supremely gracious, the 2018 reminds me of the 2004 in its aromatic intensity and classic, refined feel. Inky red/purplish fruit, cedar, lavender, espresso, sage and mint are some of the many aromas and flavors that develop with time in the glass. There is so much to like here. More than anything else, I am struck by how ripe and well balanced the tannins are, something that is rare for Masseto, especially in the early going, when the wine can be a bit burly.

As was the case throughout Tuscany, the 2018 Masseto is the product of a cool year with a fair amount of rain in August. The 2018 was made from all of the key vineyard plots, minus the young vine replants. It is the first vintage made at the estate’s new winery, which is equipped with concrete fermenters that allow for more flexibility in extraction. Aging was 24 months in French oak, 100% new. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Also available:

2017 Masseto $1,889.00 (1.5L) 

Call (360-350-4896 x8) or email to order

98 JS / 97+ VM / 97 DE / 97 WA / 96 JD / 95 WS / 18+ JR

#41 James Suckling's Top 100 Italian Wines of 2020

2019 Massetino $349.89 (750ML) In Stock - Buy Now

94-96 WA / 95 JS / 94 VM / 94 DE / 93 JA / 93 WS / 16+ JR

3rd vintage of the Merlot-based 2nd wine enhanced with a small part of Cabernet Franc.