- CRITICAL REVIEWS
- WINEMAKER NOTES
Jeb Dunnuck
Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Vinous
2008 Masseto Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy
The 2008 masseto 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 2018 Masseto with a long ageing potential.