- CRITICAL REVIEWS
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Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Vinous
2006 Masseto Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy
2006 Masseto began with a rainy winter, followed by hot spring days that resulted in flowering after the first week of June. From April to August there was almost no rain, and this led the vines to produce slightly smaller than normal bunches. The summer was also not too hot, and as a result the vines produced a good volume of grapes with good aromatic potential. Excellent climatic conditions during ripening, coupled with the reduced size of the grapes, provided an exceptional concentration, with sugars, tannins and acidity all higher than usual. At the beginning of the harvest the grapes were perfect: concentrated and uniformly ripe. During the harvest, the pickers worked their way through the vineyard four times, beginning on 6th September with the ‘Masseto Alto’ section of the vineyard, and 23rd September with the ‘Masseto Centrale’ section.
TASTING NOTES: A bold and powerful wine in its early years, Masseto 2006 has now shed a lot of its initial flamboyance and evolves towards an unexpectedly classic and elegant profile. The proverbial power is still there but the wine has developed a seamless integration of all its elements. Opulent, ripe fruit and Mediterranean herbs melt together in a glorious bouquet. The 2006 Masseto reflects the particular conditions of the vintage: ripeness, concentration and balance. The intense nose with ripe fruit and jam reflects the summer sun. On the palate it is powerful, rich, and opulent, with tightly woven, sweet, polished tannins balanced perfectly by acidity, which leads into a long finish marked by elegance and freshness.