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2019 Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia Masseto

Removed from a professional wine storage facility; Purchased direct from winery

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RATINGS

99James Suckling

Intense aromas of blackberries and black olives, together with hints of rosemary bush and lavender. Perfumed and nuanced. Full-bodied, yet so tight and integrated, with weightless tannins that frame the wine in a precise and curated fashion.

98The Wine Advocate

...lovely concentrated fruit, blackberry, integrated spice, tobacco, crushed slate, pencil shaving and lots of texture and fiber to push a lasting mouthfeel. The wine's richness translates into density and power to the palate, meanwhile the bouquet reveals fluidity and new sides as the wine opens in the glass. The finish is tapered and focused.

98Wine Spectator

...blackberry, black currant, iron, rosemary, cedar and toasty oak spice aromas and flavors...plenty of fruit that persists on the vibrant, lingering and complex finish. Reveals very refined tannins.

98+ Vinous / IWC

...so elegant, so precise... Red berry fruit, mocha, cinnamon and blood orange lend freshness throughout.

98+ Jeb Dunnuck

...remarkably potent wine woven with layers of incense, polished leather, and macchia herbs. The palate is full and refined, with well-managed and fine tannin structure. Luxurious with red and black fruits, it offers notes of pure red apple, blackberry, graphite, and lavender, and it is long and persistent while retaining a transparent nature with a refreshing feel.

96Wine Enthusiast

Aromas of iris, raspberry, camphor and Mediterranean scrub mingle with oak-driven spice on this 100% Merlot. Enveloping and concentrated, it also possess remarkable, almost weightless finesse, delivering black currant, Morello cherry, fruitcake and star anise alongside smooth, velvety tannins. Fresh acidity lifts the finish.

18Jancis Robinson

Deep, sweet and smoky. This has all the density and polished richness that is expected from this wine. Full-bodied and concentrated, the plentiful tannins are deceptively softened by a sweet cloak of oily fruit. A full-throttle yet balanced wine, this is a feat of density and harmony.

PRODUCER

Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia

Tenuta Dell’Ornellaia was founded by Lodovico Antinori in 1981 in Bolgheri, on the Tuscan coast. Antinori, who comes from the legendary Antinori winemaking family of Florence, wanted to make a Super Tuscan of extraordinary quality. He succeeded with his two premier wines, Ornellaia and Masseto. The Masseto is nearly 100% Merlot and Ornellaia is a more typical Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Tenuta Dell’Ornellaia was bought by Robert Mondavi Corp. in 2001, and the Mondavi Corp. was then bought by Constellation Brands. Since then the Frescobaldi winemaking family of Florence has been trying to acquire controlling interest in the winery. Tenuta Dell’Ornellaia owns 160 acres of vineyards planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The average age of the vines is 20 to 25 years. Annual production of Ornellaia is 8,000 – 12,500 cases. Annual production of Masseto is 2,000 to 2,400 cases.

REGION

Italy, Tuscany

Tuscany, or Toscana in Italian, is Italy’s best-known wine region and its most diverse. Historically Sangiovese was the primary grape grown in Tuscany and Chianti was considered the purest expression of Sangiovese. Sangiovese and its many clones are still important, and they are the grapes used for the Tuscan appellations of Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano, Chianti, Chianti Classico and Carmignano. But in the last 50 years innovative producers, many of them in southwestern Tuscany in the area called Maremma, have also planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The tradition defying producers have blended those varietals with Sangiovese to produce dazzling wines that do not conform to Italy’s appellation regulations. Such wines are called Super Tuscans and cannot be labeled with either of Italy’s highest level quality designations, which are in order of status Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantia, (DOCG), and Denominazione di Origine Controllata, (DOC). (This has not at all hindered the demand for Super Tuscans, some of which are consistently among the world’s most admired and well-reviewed wines.) Tuscany has six DOCG appellations and thirty-four DOCs. Though famous for its red wines, Tuscany also produces whites made primarily from Trebbiano and Vernaccia. There are also many Tuscan Indicazione Geographica Tipica (IGT) wines that are often an innovative blend of traditional and non-traditional grapes. This relatively new appellation status was started in 1992 as an attempt to give an official classification to Italy’s many newer blends that do fit the strict requirements of DOC and DOCG classifications. IGT wines may use the name of the region and varietal on their label or in their name.