Vineyards Magazine

The estate presents Masseto 2018

The elegant and silky texture of a one-of-a-kind wine

It is said that the expectation of a pleasure represents a pleasure in itself, but the peak is the instant in which it is finally reached, when desire is transformed into reality. Finally, after years of refinement, Masseto 2018 is released on the market, with a deep olfactory intensity that flows in the silky texture of this wine.

Humankind, the soil, and the vineyard: these are the three determining elements for the success of this  wine that has established itself as among the most respected in Italy and in the world.

Masseto was born from the intuition of taking a chance on difficult land and seeing its great potential. Estate Director, Axel Heinz, describes it as “an unspoiled, harsh and austere place, that’s not at all easy to work. The conditions are extreme, yet this vineyard never fails to amaze us. It’s truly a magical place where nature makes the most important decisions”.

The will is to interpret the spirit of nature and then let it express itself without limits, because everything revolves around the extraordinary – and at the same time demanding – vineyard. The expert hands of those who love every single plant and know its soul in depth are the ones that lead it. All of this obtains a wine without any coercing, accompanied by actions in the cellar that are as limited as possible in order to obtain its maximum expression.

Masseto 2018 is a wine that perfectly reflects terroir and vintage.

After a season of drought in 2017, winter 2018 seemed to indicate a return to normal, but one of the wettest springs in Masseto’s history, with higher than average temperatures, led to rapid vegetative growth with the risk of diseases. Only the timing of the team made it possible to keep firm control of the vines through the thinning of the shoots and the correct positioning of the foliar apparatus. Thanks to the skillful interplay between shadow and light obtained, both leaves and grapes remained healthy.

The 2018 harvest was the first to find its home entirely in the new cellar dug deep into the blue clay soil on which the vineyard stands, between walls that represent a physical and symbolic tribute to the history of the estate and to the intuition of those who believed in it. The double sorting table enabled the selection of only the most perfect grapes. Fermentation took place in concrete tanks, with the malolactic fermentation beginning in new oak barrels in separate batches for the first 12 months, then blended and left to rest in barrels for a further year.

Masseto 2018 amazes with an infinite salinity that fills each sip. Likewise, there is no sign of excess in the expression of a perfect balance between fullness and harmony that reveals the profound belonging to a terroir with an unmistakable identity.

A symphony of aromatic notes tinged with berries is woven into a refined texture. “Perfectly ripe cherries, plums and spiced new oak. The palate is broad and rich, revealing a refined and silky body derived from the 2018 vintage“, elaborates Axel Heinz, who calls it “a particularly elegant version that combines richness and finesse”.