2010 Masseto

Cool vintage. Harvest was relatively late: 21 September – 4 October. Harvested by hand into 15-kg crates and sorted by hand before destemming and gentle crushing. Five different lots were vinified separately. Fermentation took place in both steel and wooden tanks, followed by 15 – 20 days' maceration at 25 – 30 °C. Malolactic fermentation took place in 100% new oak barriques and matured for 24 months. Aged in bottle for an additional 12 months prior to release. Fragrant and mellow nose. Very contained and neat. The opposite of exuberant,.Lovely balance. Still firm but if given blind it would be very difficult to guess it was Masseto! Truffley nose. Umami/mushroom. (JR)

Throughout the growing season, development was about 10 days later than usual. Picked very late from 23 September to 4 October, one of the coolest and latest of vintages. A wet spring was followed by a hot, dry summer. Extremely savoury and appetising. Racy and lively with strong umami overtones. Quite a ripe nose and sinewy on the palate. Very good. (JR)

A wine of extraordinary purity, silkiness and finesse, the 2010 Masseto has it all. The flavors are bright, precise and exceptionally pure, but it is the wine’s total balance that is utterly compelling. What more can I ask from a wine? Absolutely nothing. There is often something magical about cooler, later-ripening vintages at the estate. The interplay of more moderate conditions with the inherent power of these sites can yield wines of profound beauty and brilliance. The 2010 is all that, and more.