Ouvrir une bouteille, c'est comme libérer un kaléidoscope liquide. Une combinaison rare d'opulence somptueuse et d'élégance raffinée. En hommage à sa vigueur, sa douceur et l'énorme dette envers le sol dont il est issu, Masseto doit son nom aux blocs durs d'argile bleue, appelés 'massi', qui se forment à la surface du vignoble.
La robe est presque noire, le nez révèle une expression riche et mûre de fruits noirs, avec des notes épicées et réglissées. En bouche, le vin parvient à allier une grande intensité et maturité des fruits à un remarquable sens de l'équilibre et de la fraîcheur. Les tanins créent une structure dense et veloutée, avec une finale fruitée persistante et une acidité vibrante qui donnent une touche de fraîcheur.
L'opinion des expertsL'opinion de Parker et Parker
The 2021 Masseto is back to being 100% Merlot. Recent past vintages saw a tiny part of Cabernet Franc. That second varietal in the blend represents the proverbial "tax" one must pay in the face of climate change, especially when making wine on the sun-drenched Tuscan Coast. This is a very rich and elaborate expression with the extract, tannic tightness and the hefty 15.5% alcohol content to match. It comes off as quite big-boned or monotone. The wine is redolent of blackberry confit and cooked cherry, with a wide range of sweet oak spices to close. There is dark chocolate with a thin lining of creamy mint filling. Within the context of that fullness and generous fruit weight, Masseto is quite a commitment in terms of price and further cellaring. More bottle aging is an absolute requirement.
The 2020 Masseto now sees new DNA with a touch of Cabernet Franc added to this celebrated Merlot-based icon wine. This is a vintage of enormous richness and density, and everything about the wine is taken up a notch or two (including the bottle glass weight and the 15% alcohol content). But Axel Heinz and his team are well prepared for the hot vintages like 2020, and changes to farming and canopy management ensure even ripening. This wine is always hard to analyze in its youth. It needs many more years to soften and flesh out. Give it time.
