2006 Masseto

An extremely dry year with almost no rain at all - just 4mm from mid-April to mid-September. Temperatures were not excessively high, but this still mean ripening took a long time - even more so because they waited for sudden storms in September to pass before harvesting. This gives a rich opulent character to the wine, set against black pepper and cinammon spices, and a touch of welcome bitterness to the tannins on the finish that tames the creamy, generous fruits. At 15 years old, you can start to really see the classicism and grace of Masseto that is overtaken when young by the flamboyant density of the fruit. Here touches of undergrowth and dried herbs come in, and the gentle acidities give a welcome balance to the spice. 100% new oak.

I remember the first time I tasted the 2006 Masseto. It's that kind of wine. The 2006 is every bit as magnificent today. Dense, richly-textured and potent to its core, the 2006 is a wine for readers who can be patient. I love the brooding intensity and sense of gravitas the 2006 conveys. Tonight, it is stellar, but still so young.

A rainy winter, then a hot spring. Almost no rain between April and August so the berries were unusually small. The harvest took place between 6 and 23 September. There was torrential rain, 240 mm, in mid September (during which consultant Michel Rolland apparently tried and failed to arrive in a Ferrari). This interrupted picking. An exceptional vintage, the result of extreme conditions, resulting in high levels of alcohol, tannin and acid. Still a deep crimson. Very sweet start. Round and diffuse. Opulent with the sort of biodynamic 'wildness'. There is spice and power here but it's not simple sweetness. Impressive. (JR)