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.

2011
After a very late-developing 2010 growing season, 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, even more important, 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. The grapes
arriving in the cellar were perfectly sound and healthy, well balanced, and with no sign of over-ripeness. Harvest
began on 25th August and finished on 1st September, bringing in a total of 5 different lots.

TASTING NOTES: With the 2011 vintage, Masseto returns to a typically Mediterranean expression of a warm
year in the Bolgheri terroir. Yet the overall impression is one of superb balance and measure, notwithstanding
the wine’s rich concentration and ripeness. A near-opaque colour greets the eye, followed by explosive aromas
of gloriously-ripe wild red berry fruit cosseted by hints of toasty oak and dark chocolate. A full-bodied palate
impresses with its deep concentration and opulence, displaying remarkably supple, glossy tannins. Masseto 2011
concludes with a cleanly-defined vein of crisp acidity, infused with the fruit and spice encountered on the nose.


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.