MASSETO
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 ‘massi’ that form on the vineyard’s surface.

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’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, since the cool nights
favoured development of aromas and of deep colour, while the sunny days served to further concentrate
compounds in the fruit, yielding grapes of impressive depth. 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 ‘Masseto Junior’ and was completed with the last section of ‘Masseto Centrale’ on 18th
September yielding a total of six different lots.

TASTING NOTES: Masseto 2008 is the expression of a warm vintage, most of it having been
harvested in the first half of September. With great concentration, its colour is particularly deep and
young. The nose is characterized by rich and fully ripe fruit yet without any traces of over ripeness,
focused and intense with spicy and mineral notes. On the palate the wine is remarkably dense, concentrated and opulent, with a very pure expression of fruit. The tannins are present and firm giving
the wine focus and precision to balance the wine’s opulent richness. It is undoubtedly one of the
great expressions of Masseto with a long ageing potential.

VINIFICATION AND AGEING
The bunches, hand harvested in 15kg crates, were selected by hand on a double sorting table before and after destemming
and then subjected to soft crushing. Fermentation took place in concrete tanks, small portions of vineyards in barrel at
temperatures between 25 and 30°C. Maceration times ranged from 21 to 28 days. Malolacticfermentation began in 100% new oak
barrique barrels, while keeping the various lots separate for the first 12
months of ripening.
Subsequently, the wine was blended and reintroduced once again into the barrels for another year, for a total of 24 months.
As usual, Masseto is given another 12 months in bottle before being released on the market.