2015 Bolgheri - 57022 Castagneto Carducci Livorno - Italia
October 2018 Dear Valued Partner, The much awaited Masseto 2015 vintage is now ready to make its international debut! The overall growing conditions of this vintage were excellent, leading us to believe that Masseto 2015 will be a most coveted wine and one that will continue to give pleasure in many years to come. The vineyard benefitted from the magical elements which come into play each year. The climate, the presence of the blue clay in the soils, the interaction of the marine influence and the constant, tender care of our workers. The development of the vines until the summer was very regular but a very hot, dry July risked a temporary shut-down in their ripening. But luck would have it that cooler temperatures & some rain came in mid-august, enabling the grapes to conclude ripening at their own pace and under the best conditions. Axel Heinz (Winemaker & Estate Director) recollects just how the marine influence was fundamental in all this - producing cooler sea breezes and a magnified intensity of light, especially towards the end of the day, - which accompanied the grapes to a perfect ripening and ensured ideal temperatures during harvest. We pay tribute to the sea s unique influence on Masseto in this presentation. In stylistic terms, the wine shows great class and that ever magical balance between power and elegance. An impressive Masseto born from a great vintage sumptuous and silky. Decisively Mediterranean in character. We hope you enjoy this vintage as much as we have enjoyed being part of its creation and we thank you for your continued support which is precious to us. With kind regards, Alexandra Belson Director Bolgheri - 57022 Castagneto Carducci Livorno - Italia
The sea is an integral part of every Masseto vintage. In summer, its rippling surface acts as a vast mirror, doubling the sun s brightness. The refracted sea light - pure, intense and indirect - fuels the vines, mellowing the grape tannins to voluptuous, subtly nuanced, perfection. As that light pours over the vineyard, the sea brews another element. Soft, moisture laden Aeolian breezes that slide between the vines and around the grape bunches. The cool air tempers the ripening process, prolongs the gentle evolution of a bracing, balancing acidity and ensures the fruit is refreshed in the driest months, and dry in the wettest. Beneath the earth, a third marine influence is at work. Roots find their way into the tract of million-year-old blue clay on which the vineyard now sits. Once seabed, it is filled with minerals and fossils of the life that was. Above, around and below. Sea. Without it, Masseto would not exist.
MASSETO 2015 Toscana IGT CLIMATE AND VINTAGE Compared to a rather particular 2014, the 2015 proved to be an almost text book vintage. After a rainy and mild winter, with just a few days of temperatures below zero, budbreak arrived on time during the first days of April. Spring was characterized by dry and sunny weather, providing ideal conditions for regular vegetative growth that culminated in a quick and complete flowering at the end of May. From June on, water stress gradually became evident. July will be remembered as a particularly torrid, dry month, with maximum temperatures exceeding 30 C every single day of the month. The heat, combined with the absence of rains, made us fear a shut-down in the ripening and the need for an early harvest. Luckily rain fell abundantly around 10 August that not only unblocked the ripening but also brought much cooler temperatures during the final ripening phase. This cool, yet sunny, weather continued throughout the harvest, allowing us to pick the grapes with great ease, choosing just the right moment to harvest the different vineyard blocks, resulting in a fresh and lively aromatic quality with a perfect degree of phenolic ripeness along with abundant, yet silky and soft, tannins. The harvest began on 29 August with the youngest vines and finished on the 16 September with the last portions of Masseto Centrale. VINIFICATION AND AGEING The bunches, hand harvested in 15kg crates, were carefully sorted by hand on a double sorting table before and after destemming and then subjected to a gentle crushing. Six different lots were vinified separately. Fermentation took place in both steel and wood tanks, followed by 15-20 days maceration at a temperature between 25 and 30 C. Afterwards, malolactic fermentation took place in 100% new oak barrique, and the different lots were kept separate for the first 12 months of maturation. The wine was then blended and reintroduced into the barrels for another year, making a total of 24 months. After bottling, the wine was aged for an additional 12 months prior to release. TASTING NOTES The particularly regular vintage, along with an ideal temperature during the harvest, is reflected in a classic Masseto, with a perfect balance between a mature, yet complex, aromatic expression of great freshness and a rare quality of ample, silky and smooth tannins. The dark and intense colour is followed by a rich aroma with hints of fully ripe red fruit and spicy, balsamic and cocoa notes. In the mouth it becomes sensual and rich, with great density and an ample and perfectly smooth tannin. The fruity notes are underlined by the subtle presence of oak - terminating in a fresh and vivid finish with pronounced hints of cocoa. Tasting September 2017 Bolgheri - 57022 Castagneto Carducci Livorno - Italia