Winter 2018 showed cold weather and even few days of snow which we had not seen for years.
Things changed quickly from March onwards with one of the rainiest springs in Masseto&rsquo;s history. At the same time temperatures, were higher than average, which led to a rapid vegetative growth, culminating in flowering which occurred one full week earlier than normal.
While temperatures came back to the norm in May, the high amount of rain created a high level of disease pressure, especially for downy mildew. Only through perfect vineyard management it was possible to get control of the disease keeping canopies and grapes healthy.
In July mostly sunny and warm weather allowed for a little rest before veraison stepped in timely around the 22 July. August was warm with a bit of rain around the 15th, which prevented the appearance of any major hydric stress.
Harvest started on 31st August with the youngest gobelet-trained vines; one week later we started picking the older vines. Differences between parcels within Masseto were particularly marked, leading to a very long harvest that was concluded only on 4th October and yielded 9 different vinification lots.
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From its genesis in 1986, until today.

All vintages

To open a bottle is to unleash a liquid kaleidoscope. A rare combination of sumptuous opulence and polished elegance. As a tribute to its rugged force, its softness, and the debt it owes to the soil from which it rises, Masseto was named after the rock-hard clusters of blue clay called &lsquo;massi&rsquo; that form on the vineyard&rsquo;s surface.

MASSETO

MASSETINO

GENESIS

Masseto

Masseto before the existence of Masseto.
The first official release of Masseto was in 1987, but an experimental bottling of a Merlot was carried out in 1986; the wine was made from the first fruits of the new merlot vineyard planted in the clay soil of the Masseto hill.
This wine was the first &ldquo;prototype&rdquo; of Masseto, and a few bottles still remain at the winery. Tasting the wine today, one immediately understands the reasons that the Estate produced a separate bottling of this Merlot, which was &ldquo;so full of promise&rdquo; right from its first harvest.

1986

The 1987 vintage was characterised by a generally good growing season.
Temperatures during the month of July were very hot, followed by some rainfall during the month of August.&nbsp; The harvest of the Merlot was carried out on the 13th September 1987.

1987

The vegetative cycle of the 1988 vintage enjoyed generally hot, sunny weather until the final phases of berry ripening.
The temperature reached its peak during the month of August.&nbsp; The harvest of the Merlot for this vintage was carried out on 14th September 1988.

1988

The climate for the 1989 growing season was characterised by warm weather and clear skies until the final phase of the berry ripening.
There was modest rainfall during the summer and peak temperatures during the month of August. This caused the ripening process of the grapes to slow down, and consequently, the grapes matured later than average.
The harvest of the Merlot for this vintage was carried out on 28th September 1989.

1989

The 1990 vintage was generally warm and sunny for the duration of the vine&rsquo;s vegetative cycle with a small amount of rainfall in early August followed by peak temperatures towards the end of August.
The characteristics of this vintage were similar to that of 1988.
The harvest was carried out on 5th September.

1990

The primary growing phase of the vines was characterised by an average temperature with flowering and optimal fruit set around the 15th of June.
The summer months had lower than average temperatures and above average rainfall. For this reason, the maturation of the berry was about 3 weeks later than average.
The harvest was carried out on the 11th and 17th of September (somewhat later than for previous harvests).

1991

The area enjoyed a spring with average temperatures. Persistent humidity continued throughout the month of June followed by a notable rise in temperature which continued throughout August.
Periodic and sporadic cooler moments offered respite from the heat. The persistent humidity caused, however, a slight slowing down in the maturation of the fruit and the harvest was carried out slightly later than expected. Luckily, the area of Bolgheri was spared by the terrible rainfalls that occurred between the middle and end of September in other areas of Tuscany.
The harvest took place on the 5th and 12th of September.

1992

The climate for the 1993 growing season was characterised by a very warm spring with moderate rainfall.
This resulted in an early flowering (around mid-May), and which was followed by a very hot summer. Temperatures remained steady throughout September with the first rains not appearing until the end of the month.
The harvest took place on the 5th and 22nd of September.

1993

The 1994 vintage was characterised by an exceptionally warm spring with moderate rainfall. These conditions resulted in a premature flowering of the Merlot vines on the 15th of May 1994.
The summer months were extremely warm until the end of September, and there was very little rainfall.&nbsp; The harvest took place on the 4th and 15th of September 1994.

1994

The prevailing climate throughout 1995 was characterised by a relatively late spring which consequently influenced the flowering of the vines. Flowering initiated on 24-25 May for the Merlot grapes.
The end of June and the onset of July were somewhat cooler than the norm, followed suddenly by approximately 30 days of exceptionally hot weather. Intermittent showers started around the 8th of August with temperatures dropping and remaining somewhat cooler throughout the month of September.
The harvest took place on the 4th and 13th of September 1995.

1995

The spring of 1996 had below average temperatures which caused a delay in budding. The Merlot variety flowered 24/25 May.
Temperatures in the summer were fairly stable but not excessively hot. Around mid-August there was some rain which caused some delay in ripening. Temperatures however increased noticeably at the beginning of September enabling the grapes to fully ripen.
The harvest was carried out between 8-12 September, and attention was given to a careful grape selection.

1996

The start of spring saw above average temperatures which resulted in an early budding of the vines. The vegetative cycle slowed down somewhat following an unexpected frost in mid-April and subsequent rainfall until the end of the month.
From May onwards, the weather became very warm and dry and the summer months were particularly hot, reaching above average temperatures.&nbsp; The grapes ripened earlier than usual, and harvesting was carried out under ideal conditions, starting on 25 August and finishing at the end of the first week of September.
The vintage was exceptional in terms of quality (with grapes that had matured perfectly with good concentration and well matured tannins), while quantities were somewhat lower than average due to the small dimensions of the grapes resulting from the dry summer conditions.

1997

The end of winter and beginning of spring were mild, favouring an early budding of the vines.
Flowering took place at the end of May followed by a uniform setting of the berry. The summer months were very hot and dry reaching, at times, temperatures well above average.
The vintage saw very little rainfall (only 450 mm in the whole year). Veraison took place in mid-July in a very uniform way. At the end of July, the grapes were thinned to ensure that those remaining on the vines matured under the best conditions.
The harvest was carried out under fine conditions during the period 3rd and 9th September. The harvest was made in different lots.

1998

Winter was slightly colder than in 1998, with budbreak delayed until around late March.
During spring temperatures and rains were within the norm, with flowering and growth similar to the previous year. Flowering took place at the end of May.
The excellent climate during late spring resulted in a better-than average fruit set. A hot summer without rain led to veraison one week earlier than in previous vintages, with very consistent fruit.
Harvest started during the second week of September and lasted 7 days under ideal weather conditions.

1999

Winter was generally warmer than in 1999.
A homogeneous budbreak occurred during the first days of April, under some rain. Spring evolved with average temperatures and sunny days. Flowering was completed uniformly by mid-May. Thanks to the rain in early spring, initial fruit formation was more than previous year.
The weather was very sunny with no rains and temperatures well above the average during the entire summer until harvest time. This allowed for an early veraison (around mid-July) and for the vines to develop under ideal conditions.
Harvest started the last days of August and continued until mid-September.

2000

Winter was milder than the norm and rain above average: this brought about an early budbreak, between the end of March and the beginning of April.
A spring characterized by abundant rainfall and average temperature favoured the Merlot, which flowered around the middle of May. Fruit set was good, with grape size large than the norm.
Summer temperatures were within average with very little rain. During September, temperatures were slightly below average, and this allowed for the berries to achieve a slow and complete ripening of polyphenols.
The harvest started at the beginning of September and was completed about four weeks later. Grape conditions were very good and ripening very uniform.

2001

2002&rsquo;s weather report can be divided in two parts: before and after the 10th August.
The early part of the vines&rsquo; vegetative cycle was slightly advanced, followed by normal flowering and fruit setting, despite the alternating spells of hot and cold weather. The biological phases of the vines proceeded regularly and within the seasonal average. At the beginning of July, a green harvest was carried out which reduced the bunches on the vines by about 30%.
After 10th August the wet conditions required careful and constant work in the vineyard to achieve a perfect balance between canopy growth and fruit development. This ensured a slow, perfect polyphenolic ripening.
The harvest started on the 4th September in the upper part of the Masseto vineyard and was completed on the 25th of September with the central part.

2002

The 2003 growing season was characterised by high temperatures, well above seasonal average, and by scarce rainfall - only 14mm from the end of April through early September.
The generous rains of the preceding season, however, had adequately supplied the deep soils with sufficient water reserves to arrive through the summer of 2003. This meant that the harsh conditions of the summer months had less impact on the vines, but it did have the effect of highlighting the differences in the various sections of the Masseto vineyard.
Due to the hot conditions, the upper part of the Masseto vineyard (&lsquo;Masseto Alto&rsquo;) was in fact picked on 25th August, while the clayey soils situated in the heart of the vineyard, (&lsquo;Masseto Centrale&rsquo;), were able to remain relatively cool and this contributed to optimal ripeness, which was reached on 18th September.

2003

2004 was a textbook vintage.
In terms of climate, during the winter there was sufficient rainfall, and the temperatures were never excessive, while the spring was sunny, with occasional brief thunderstorms.
Budding took place between 30th March and 10th April. The flowering revealed great fertility on the part of the buds. The potentially high yields were kept in check, to achieve the desired quality levels by repeated, extensive pruning of excess grape bunches.
The summer began with mild temperatures, followed by a sunny, very hot August. These ideal conditions allowed the Merlot to ripen evenly and uniformly.
During the harvest there was no rainfall enabling us to determine the perfect moment to harvest each parcel. The harvest began with the higher part of the vineyard on 13th September. The central and lower parts were harvested between the 17th and the 21st September.

2004

The winter of 2005 was, rather mild, and was followed by a spring that quickly became hot and sunny.
As a result, the vines flowered about a week early, around the 20th May. June and July behaved as expected: heat, sun, and just a few drops of rain.
The grapes ripened steadily in August, under constant temperatures that never exceeded the seasonal average (32 &deg;C). A few rains around August 15 contributed the optimal development of the bunches.
At the end of August, the preliminary analyses revealed extremely high polyphenolic potentials, which are indicative of a great vintage. September provided us with alternating beautiful sunny days and sudden showers.
To allow the grapes to ripen fully and develop optimal concentrations, we harvested late, beginning with the lower part of the Masseto vineyard on 14th September and finishing up the central part on 30th September.

2005

2006 began with a rainy winter, followed by hot spring days that resulted in flowering after the first week of June.
From April to August there was almost no rain, and this led the vines to produce slightly smaller than normal bunches. The summer was also not too hot, and as a result the vines produced a good volume of grapes with good aromatic potential.
Excellent climatic conditions during ripening, coupled with the reduced size of the grapes, provided an exceptional concentration, with sugars, tannins and acidity all higher than usual.
At the beginning of the harvest the grapes were perfect: concentrated and uniformly ripe.
During the harvest, the pickers worked their way through the vineyard four times, beginning on 6th September with the &lsquo;Masseto Alto&rsquo; section of the vineyard, and 23rd September with the &lsquo;Masseto Centrale&rsquo; section.

2006

2007 began with a very mild winter, with less rainfall than usual. As a result, bud break occurred about 10 days early.
Spring was mild too, with rains coming just when they were required, which allowed excellent vegetative growth and led the vines to flower early. June rains, which occurred throughout Tuscany, accompanied the development of the grapes.
Summer finally started with a July, which was hot and dry, followed by an August which was cooler, with classic mid-month thunderstorms that slowed the ripening of the grapes, bringing the projected harvest date in line with the average.
A perfect September with brilliant sun, mild temperatures, and little rain permitted a perfectly slow, steady ripening of the grapes, concentrating polyphenols and aromatic compounds, without leading to any over-ripeness.
The grapes were picked between 3rd and 15th September on four different occasions.
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2007

The 2008 growing season was marked by a cool, rainy spring, with budbreak occurring within the norm.
Rainfall during flowering did however affect the fruit set, thus lowering the vine&rsquo;s production. Summer brought intense heat, with almost no rain, and these conditions lasted through the first ten days of September. This facilitated a good veraison and a very satisfactory ripening process.
September brought the cool northerly tramontana winds, which lowered temperatures. This cool, breezy but generously sunny period was particularly beneficial to some of the later ripening vines in the central part of Masseto, allowing them to develop full ripeness while maintaining fresh and vibrant aromatics.
Harvest started on 4th September with the youngest vines of &lsquo;Masseto Junior&rsquo; and was completed with the last section of &lsquo;Masseto Centrale&rsquo; on 18th September yielding a total of six different lots.

2008

The 2009 growing season saw a winter and early spring that were cool and rainy, and budbreak occurred in line with past years.
May was dry, but the rains returned in June, without however negatively impacting vine growth or flowering.
Summer was practically rainless, and hot, with temperatures often rising above 35&deg;C and with little difference between day and night temperatures. Strong scirocco winds from Africa between late August and early September hastened the ripening process, and this vintage harvest was one of the earliest and most rapid in Masseto&rsquo;s history.
Harvest started on 2nd September and was completed on 10th September yielding a total of five different lots.
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2009

The 2010 growing season will be remembered for being one of the latest in recent years.
From budbreak on, in fact, the growth stages were some 10 days behind average, and that slow pace continued through to the harvest. A rainy spring was followed by a hot, dry summer, which favoured optimal development of the clusters.
A few rain showers interrupted the harvest in September, but adequate dry, sunny periods allowed the fruit to fully ripen. Painstaking vineyard management, and careful leaf-pulling in particular, ensured that the grapes were sound and healthy. Cool nights encouraged fine development of aromatic compounds, with the grapes displaying remarkably crisp fruit and floral qualities.
Harvest started on 14th September and was concluded on 4th October yielding a total of five different lots.
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2010

2011 was characterised by warm, dry weather and a much earlier than average harvest. A rainy winter was followed by a warmer-than average spring that brought forward the start of vine growth by 10 days.
Budbreak was particularly rapid and uniform, always a good indicator of a fine growing year.
Then cooler weather in June and July slowed vine development. The expected rains arrived on schedule after flowering and during veraison, encouraging optimal cluster growth, aromatic intensification, and exceptionally generous accumulation of polyphenols. A heat spell at the end of August further quickened ripening, resulting in the earliest harvest to date in the history of Masseto.
Harvest began on 25th August and finished on 1st September, bringing in a total of 5 different lots.
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2011

2012 was a dry growing year, like 2011, with the scarcity of water already evident during a cold, dry winter.
At budbreak, which occurred normally, a water deficit of some 100mm, compared to the multi-year average, was already evident. A mild, sunny spring brought excellent vine growth, with a rapid, consistent flowering.
July and August were hot and almost rain-free, prompting fears of arrested ripening due to lack of water. In spite of this, veraison was normal and satisfactory under optimal conditions.
A few spells of rain between the end of August and beginning of September gave final momentum to the ripening, and the fruit achieved a fine overall ripeness, with optimal levels of aromatics and polyphenols.
The harvest took place between 29th August and 17th September.
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2012

After a dry 2012, winter 2013 was characterized with mild and rainy weather, which caused a delay in budding of up to 15 days.
A cool, rainy spring also led to an irregular and very long flowering period &ndash; with a two-week delay compared to the average &ndash; which reduced production and resulted in an uneven development of the grapes. Fortunately, the summer, which arrived punctually at the end of June, was perfect, dry and sunny, with a few peaks of heat in July and August. The slow vegetative development was ultimately beneficial because it deferred ripening until after the hottest period.
The August storms significantly lowered temperatures, especially at night, which favoured aromatic expression.
This however led to a later than average harvest, which started on 12th September with vineyard parcel &ldquo;Masseto Alto&rdquo; and concluded on 25th September with the last block of &ldquo;Masseto Centrale&rdquo;.
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2013

The 2014 vintage will remain as one of the most particular in Masseto&rsquo;s history. A warm and rainy winter was followed by a mild, dry spring that permitted a normal vegetative development with a timely and even flowering.
After regular conditions in July, August was rainy and cold, creating difficulty for the grapes to ripen and increasing the risk of diseases. However, the meticulous work carried out in the vineyard, including leaf removal and treatments throughout the month of August, allowed the grapes to arrive in excellent condition for harvest in September and October when the weather was mostly sunny and dry.
The blue clays of Masseto showed their capacity to a full by swelling and making the soils impenetrable, thus avoiding excessive accumulation of water and the dilution of the grapes.
During the harvest a very careful selection of bunches was essential and some specific vineyard blocks were harvested in up to three different stages. A strict selection was also made on the sorting table, to fill the tanks with only perfect grapes.
2014 represents to date the latest and longest harvest in the history of Masseto. Starting on 5th September and ending on 7th October.
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2014

The 2015 proved to be an almost textbook 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.&nbsp; Spring was characterized by dry and sunny weather, providing ideal conditions for regular vegetative growth.
From June on, water stress gradually became evident. July will be remembered as a particularly torrid, dry month, with maximum temperatures exceeding 30&deg;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 10th 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.
The harvest began on 29th August with the youngest vines and finished on the 16th September with the last portions of &lsquo;Masseto Centrale&rsquo;.
&nbsp;

2015

The winter of 2016 was characterized by abnormally warm weather with heavy rainfall in February.
Budbreak took place on time in the last week of March. The abundance of water in the soil and the warm weather in April led to quick and normal vegetative vine growth. Towards May temperatures returned to normal, slowing the growth down slightly.
The summer temperatures were in the norm with very little rain, favouring a notable water stress towards the end of ripening. The usual mid-August storms were also absent, maintaining a state of hydric stress through the first part of the harvest.
Luckily temperatures significantly cooled off at night, allowing the vines to recover from the daytime temperatures. Harvest started early on the 24th August with the younger vines.
In September a few rain showers arrived, providing enough water in the soil to prevent the vines from shutting down. This allowed us to complete harvest under virtually perfect conditions.
The older vines of &lsquo;Masseto centrale&rsquo; took great advantage from this situation and continued their ripening until the third week of September. The last plots were picked on the 20th September.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

2016

2017 will be remembered as one of the hottest and driest vintages in recent history.
Due to an unusually mild winter with temperatures 3&deg;C above average, budbreak occurred two weeks earlier than usual. Apart from a brief period of cold weather towards the end of April, the entire growing season was dominated by warm and dry weather, leading to a reduced development of the canopy. Flowering and fruit set went well, but due to the lack of water cluster and berry sizes stayed small.
July and August stayed hot and virtually without rain, but fortunately with sufficiently cool nights to allow the vines to recover from the heat and continue to ripen the fruit without shutting down, maintaining excellent levels of acidity in the grapes.
Harvest started early and was the fastest ever, only three days of picking between the 24th and 30th August. Given the particular conditions, the grapes were picked rather by vine age than by single vineyard, yielding only four different lots.
&nbsp;

2017

2018

The year 2019 was characterised by a highly variable climate, which alternated periods of cold and rain with long bouts of drought and heat. After a rather normal winter, budding took place on the first week of April. Cold and rainy conditions throughout April and May considerably slowed down development of the vegetation, delaying flowering to 10 days later than usual.
In June, the climate suddenly turned hot and dry, with peak temperatures of 37&deg;C reached at the end of the month. All summer long the weather remained hot and sunny, with temperatures 2&deg;C higher than average and 45 consecutive days without rain.
In the last week of July, the long period of drought was interrupted by two days of rain, readjusting the temperature to the seasonal norm, with ideal conditions for grape ripening. After another set of rain showers at the beginning of the month, Merlot harvest began on 5th September with the young vine and went on until the 20th September under perfect conditions.
Harvest was completed with the Cabernet Franc on the 1st October.

2019

After a mild and rainy winter, there was a temporary drop in temperatures in March, with a few nights below 0&deg;C just when the vines began to bud in the last week of the month. Fortunately the new shoots were still protected by the downy tissue around the bud, which prevented frost damage.
The weather was generally warm during the rest of spring, with normal rainfall, ensuring regular vegetative development until blossoming, which took place between the 20th and 25th of May. A passage of heavy rain towards the middle of June was followed by a very long dry period with a substantial absence of rain and scorching temperatures until the end of August.
Veraison took place evenly and quickly between the 20th and 25th of July, triggering the ripening of the grapes under a blazing sun. Rain arrived at the end of August, leading to a considerable drop in temperatures, with overnight lows sometimes falling to 13&deg;C, creating the ideal conditions for completing the ripening of the Merlot grapes.
They were harvested early and quickly in order to preserve their freshness as much as possible, and just in time to avoid a sudden week-long heat wave, in which temperatures soared to 37&deg;C. The Merlot harvest was completed on the 14th of September, followed almost immediately by the Cabernet Franc harvest, which ended on the 16th of September.

2020

2021 began with a rainy and mild winter that replenished the soil's water reserves. After a dry March, budding took place in the first two weeks of April. The gradual rise in temperatures, with normal rainfall, allowed the shoots to grow steadily, leading to blossoming in excellent conditions at the end of May. Perfect summer weather set in from June onwards, with slightly higher than average temperatures and almost no rainfall, leading to veraison in the last week of July. The dry weather lasted throughout August and September. In spite of this, the spring rains allowed the calcareous-clayey soils to release water reserves to the plant to avoid debilitating stress, resulting in concentrated grapes with high quality potential.