Jeb Dunnuck

The 2019 Massetino is 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. This is only the third vintage of this cuvée, which adds a splash of Cabernet Franc to give a dramatically different take on Masseto. Ripe black cherries, currants, tobacco leaf, scorched earth, and ample graphite are just some of the nuances here, and it does have a slightly more floral, herbal, focused edge compared to the more round and opulent Grand Vin. Rock solid on the palate and structured, tannic, yet balanced and concentrated, it's built for the long haul and will need 7-8 years to hit maturity, but it’s going to have 25-30 years of overall longevity.

James Suckling

Very attractive aromas of currants, spices and sweet tobacco with some graphite and slate. Full-bodied with a rich and rather dense mouth feel, plenty of fruit and a spicy, dark-chocolate aftertaste. A solid and sturdy second wine from Masseto. Try in 2023.

Wine & Spirits Magazine

Falstaff

Rich, bright ruby with purple glints. An intense and appealing nose with lots of rich berry fruit, black cherry, blackberry and cassis, plus some nougat and tobacco. On the palate it is initially dense and profound, with dark berry fruit and grippy tannins. Still a little diffuse on the finish; it still needs time.

Raffaele Vecchione - WinesCritic.com

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Tasted before bottling, the 2019 Massetino is shaping up beautifully. This is the third vintage made of the Merlot-based wine enhanced with a small part of Cabernet Franc. The Cabernet Franc is what distinguishes this euphemistically diminutive expression of Masseto, and it is its distinctive vinous signature. The 2019 vintage is soft and pliant but also incredibly rich and layered. It offers generous black fruit with ripe cherry and blackberry. Spice, tobacco and campfire ash fill in the rear and build the aromatic profile of this wine that is already stacked tall and proud. We still need to see how the 2019 plays out in the bottle, and I am especially interested to gauge how the thick and rich fruit concentration works against the less pronounced acidity of the vintage.

The 2018 vintage offers a unique perspective on the wines of Bolgheri, and nowhere is this more evident than the property that houses two powerhouse brands, Masseto and Ornellaia, just off the scenic via Bolgherese at the heart of this dynamic appellation located on the shores of northern Tuscany. Two of Italy’s most important wines are coming online. The 2018 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is being released now and the 2018 Masseto will hit the market later this year in October. We also have the 2018 Ornellaia Bianco (released now), the 2019 Bolgheri Rosso Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia (to be released in September) and the other wines from the Ornellaia program coming soon. The number two wine in the Masseto program, the 2019 Masseto, will be available in the fall. The 2018 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia sees a historically high percentage of Merlot in the blend. That grape makes up 50% of the wine, with 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and tiny percentages of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. “The Merlot in 2018 was a big surprise, and we thought that a little meat was missing on the bones of the Cabernet Sauvignon,” he says. The Merlot harvest lasted about three weeks, starting at the end of August and lasting until September 25. The estate has various plots of the grape with different conditions and ripening dates and that explains the long harvest window. The percentage of Merlot in the 2018 Bolgheri Rosso Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia is also greater. The 2019 vintage represents a return to a more classic Bolgheri taste profile with greater fruit weight, structure and soft tannins. The spring season saw cool weather and rain, causing a two-week delay in the growing cycle. The temperatures warmed up considerably by June, and those delays were quickly overcome. Harvest started the second week of September and lasted until October 4th. The teams at Masseto and Ornellaia are working toward a sustainability certification with a 360-degree approach aimed at bottle glass weight, renewable energy, recyclable packaging, solar energy and making sure that outsourced suppliers comply to the in-house sustainability protocols. Recent changes in 2019 have been made to reduce bottle weight across many of the wines including the Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia. The special bottle used for Masseto, based on a unique design and special mold, is quite heavy by today’s standards. Axel does not exclude that the Masseto bottle could also be revised. For more information about the vintage conditions, the wines and this estate’s sustainability efforts, please read my full article for this report: “Italy, Tuscany: The Tuscan Twenty – A Spotlight on Masseto & Ornellaia.”