Vineyards Magazine

While the harvest has just came to a close in the Masseto vineyard, Masseto 2020 emerges from the estate’s cellars carved into the blue clay depths beneath the vines. Now in its 34th vintage, the iconic wine remains a coveted collector’s piece among wine lovers worldwide.

A product of the homonymous vineyard that first loaned its name to the wine and then to the estate, Masseto has since become synonymous of Italian excellence internationally. The vineyard stretches across one of the hills in Bolgheri, opposite the Tyrrhenian Sea. The few hectares are split into micro-parcels that are harvested and vinified separately.

The magic of this wine lies in the distinctive soil composition that vaunts a vein of Pliocenic blue clay once concealed in the sea, which artfully governs the hydration of the vines, absorbing excess water and keeping the roots fresh and moist, even during extended dry spells. Aligned with the Mediterranean sun and constant sea breezes, these traits form the perfect conditions for a perfect ripening of the grapes.

2020 was no exception. Typified by a mild winter, a spring with normal precipitation, and a hot, dry summer, harvest at Masseto took place in mid-September after propitious rainfall with changes in temperature from day to night. “We always picked the grapes early in the morning to preserve their freshness as much as possible and the harvest ended on 16 September,” explains Gaia Cinnirella, Winemaker and Cellar Master of Masseto. The end result once more encapsulates the essential elegance of this unique place in a glass.

Having been harvested and selected with expert care and attention, the grapes were taken to the cellar, which – as well as being an architectural gem instilled with soul-stirring geometry – was designed with the best possible conditions to turn these generous natural fruits into bottles of rare prestige.

Masseto 2020 has cultivated all the characteristics of the vintage, beginning with elegant concentration. The wine is powerful on the palate with exquisite length and balsamic notes. The integrity of the tannins reveals the hallmark ageing potential of Masseto.