Tenuta dell´Ornellaia - Masseto 2019

JAMES 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. Very structured and built for aging. It’s rather shy now, but will reward those who are patient. A kind of stealth in its nature. A more thought-provoking edition of Masseto. Needs time to show its true self. Try after 2027."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "This bottle opens a new chapter for one of Italy's most celebrated and collected wines. The first vintage made entirely in its dedicated state-of-the-art winery (and the first vintage with a 10% dabble of Cabernet Franc added to what has historically aways been a pure expression of Merlot), the Masseto 2019 Masseto has two main themes at heart: concentration and elegance. And managing those two seemingly contrasting elements requires a little bit of magic. That's the Masseto magic we look for. The 2019 vintage delivers it in spades with 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."

WEINWISSER: "Der Masseto ist der berühmteste, reinsortige Merlot Italiens. Der 2019er wurde über 24 Monate in 100 % neuen Barriques ausgebaut. Dunkle, lebendige Farbe. Duftig, fein und frisch, wirkt der Masseto 2019 trotz 15 vol.-%. nicht breit oder deftig, alles ist auf Finesse und Frische ausgerichtet, mit feinen kirschigen Nuancen und tiefgründiger, ätherischer Kopfnote. Satt und cremig im Auftakt, präsentiert er sich extrem differenziert und feinsinnig auf der Zunge, mit groß angelegter Struktur und ungemein feinkörnigen Gerbstoffen. Weit gefasst und tiefgründig am Gaumen besitzt er zwar nicht die ganz große Terroir-Charakteristik à la Pétrus oder Trotanoy und dennoch ist eine Größe im Masseto zu erkennen, die ihn zu einem außergewöhnlichen Wein macht. Sehr ausgewogen und lang, schmelzig und finessenreich. Ein sehr eleganter Masseto."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Tightly wound now, with blackberry, black currant, iron, rosemary, cedar and toasty oak spice aromas and flavors. Though firm and compact, this has plenty of fruit that persists on the vibrant, lingering and complex finish. Reveals very refined tannins. Merlot. Best from 2024 through 2042."

DECANTER: "Savoury notes on the nose, woodland fragrances, cedar, tobacco, blackcurrant and violets. Lovely fresh acidity fills the mouth, lifting the slightly grippy tannins and ripe cherry and plum fruit. Tannins are mouthcoating but fine, supportive and they have a nice feel giving structure to the overall feel. I like the texture here, the wine feels well worked with nothing sticking out. It's perhaps a little sombre and not so overtly vibrant right now with stand out dark chocolate, mint and liquorice elements but there is elegance here despite the power and concentration and the wine feels extremely well made. Malolactic fermentation began in 100% new oak barriques with all the individual lots kept separate for the first 12 months of ageing before being blended and aged for another 12 months in barrel. The wine was then aged for a final 12 months in bottle before being released."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Reminding me of a great Pomerol in a way, the 2019 Masseto is as always 100% Merlot and is a pure, seamless, just incredibly sexy expression of this terroir, showing the warmer style of the vintage. Giving up loads of redcurrants, sweet tobacco, savory herbs, dusty earth, and chalky mineral notes, as well as some subtle chocolaty oak, it has a wonderful purity and precision in its aromatics and already shows considerable complexity. These all carry over to the palate, where the wine is full-bodied, has a silky, layered mouthfeel, building, chalky tannins, and a great finish. This ripe, powerful Masseto clocks in at over %15 alcohol, yet the balance is spot on and it remains light on its feet and graceful, with no sensation of weight or heaviness. It unquestionably deserves 7-8 years of bottle age and, I suspect, will have 30 years of longevity, probably longer."

WINE 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. Drink 2025-2039."