Masseto 2022 Single Bottle in Wood
Country: Italy Region: Bolgheri, Tuscany
Varietal: 100% Merlot Vintage: 2022
Colour: Red Style: Dry
Producer: Tenuta dell'Ornellaia
Description:
The 2022 Masseto, produced by Tenuta dell'Ornellaia in Bolgheri, Tuscany, remains one of the world's most sought-after wines, a symbol of Italian elegance and power. Made entirely from Merlot, it takes its name from the unique terroir of Masseto Hill, a hill of mineral-rich blue clays whose natural drainage and multiple exposures provide a perfect balance of Mediterranean warmth and marine freshness.
The 2022 vintage, marked by a hot and dry summer, produced grapes of exceptional ripeness, concentration, and rare aromatic intensity. Thanks to rigorous plot selection, each micro-terroir of Masseto was vinified separately in concrete vats before a precise blend and aging for 24 months in French oak barrels, followed by an additional year in bottle.
A Tuscan Merlot of absolute precision, combining the sensuality of the fruit with the structural rigor of great terroirs. A masterpiece of patience and expertise, it will fully express itself between 2030 and 2045.
98+/100 Points - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com
"This vintage of the 2022 Masseto is 100% Merlot. The nose is pronounced, leading with its mineral aromas of crushed dark stones. It smells like dissolved minerals, delicate peppery accents, black plum, red apples, lavender perfume, and sage. The aromatics are quite profound in this vintage, and on the palate, it’s full-bodied and more structured, with ripe tannins and a good deal of depth and richness, with the minerality shining through. Long on the palate, it’s generous all the way through, and while it feels approachable upfront, more structure comes through on the finish. Allow it some time in cellar and drink 2028-2058."
98/100 Points - James Button, Decanter.com
"Scents of cool, damp earth, dark hedgerow berries, Mediterranean scrub, and cocoa and wood give a sense of what is to come once time has untangled everything. Zingy, crunchy acidity steals the show early on, segueing into a mouthful of succulent yet dense dark berries and spice imbued with plenty of energy. Then some balsamic herbs and floral notes lighten the palate, before a touch of salinity and some bitter herbs emerge on the finish, with a refrain of bright cherry. Something special. (Drink between 2026-2050)"
Tasting Notes:
The nose reveals a captivating complexity: blackberry, black cherry, plum, and violet mingle with notes of cocoa, truffle, and graphite. On the palate, the texture is sumptuous, dense, and velvety. The richness of the fruit is balanced with a remarkably fine tannic structure and a saline freshness that characterizes the coastal terroir. The mid-palate, ample and deep, evolves into a long, noble, and slightly spicy finish, where dark chocolate, warm stone, and blond tobacco mingle.
