The first wine produced from the Masseto vineyard was the 1986 vintage. It was simply called "Merlot." The name Masseto appeared on the label with the 1987 vintage. Masseto is a wine with a powerful and complex personality, combining remarkable structure with beautiful elegance. Each vintage has its own identity and, to the delight of its connoisseurs, represents the incredible possibilities for interpretation that climate variations can offer: the noble opulence of 2001, the dense tannic structure of 1998, or the great elegance of 2007... Thus, each Masseto vintage is unique, yet at the same time, one with the others. It thus represents a singular testimony to the special alliance between terroir, climate, and human talent that defines Masseto, and at the same time demonstrates the timeless value of this wine.

Climate and Vintage

After a very late 2008, the 2009 vintage was characterized by warm, dry weather, leading to an earlier-than-usual harvest.
A rainy winter was followed by a warmer-than-usual spring, which brought the vine's growth cycle forward by a full 10 days. Budbreak was particularly rapid and uniform, always a favorable condition for a great vintage, and vine growth was slowed by cooler conditions in June and July. Timely rains, arriving after flowering and at veraison, allowed for excellent cluster development, perfect conditions for aromatic development and, even more so, for the accumulation of exceptional polyphenolic potential. A heat wave at the end of August further accelerated ripening, leading to the earliest harvest in Masseto's history, and bringing perfectly ripe and balanced grapes to the cellar, with no signs of overripeness.
Designation: IGT Toscana