Masseto IGT Toscana 2011 1,5 L Ornellaia

From Italy’s most celebrated 7-hectare plot of Merlot, the 2011 Masseto is a wine of grand and lofty ambitions that happily materialize in the glass. This wine delivers on all the many promises it makes. First is the exceptional quality of the bouquet with seamless integration of dark fruit to spice, to chocolate, to Mediterranean herb. The aromas are presented in kaleidoscope effect so that many bright colors blend into one. Second, is the mouthfeel that is as supple, rich and persistent as you should expect of a wine of this pedigree. Lastly, is the wine’s aging potential that is already evident in terms of the integrated acidity and the richness of the tannins. In fact, the tannins are absolutely gorgeous here: They are silky, refined and delightful. It’s not the greatest Masseto ever made, but it performs beautifully nonetheless.

Wow. Fabulous aromas of currants, rosemary, mint and orange peel. Perfect nose. Full body with perfectly integrated tannins. It's long and incredible with tangerine, toasted-oak, berry, terracotta and chocolate flavors. It lasts for minutes on the palate. This needs at least five years to soften but so spellbinding now.

The nose is really coming together here, revealing ripe, sweet cherry, blackberry, cedar, graphite and spice notes. Powerful, yet retains a sense of elegance, with a smooth texture and a terrific aftertaste that echoes dark cherry, cigar box and spice elements. Merlot.—Non-blind Masseto vertical (October 2017). Best from 2020 through 2038.

The 2011 Masseto is very clearly the product of a warm year. In that sense, it reminds me of the 2003. Black cherry, mocha, chocolate, licorice, espresso and smoke are all super concentrated. The intense heat of the year is also felt in the wine’s large-scaled tannins. Overall, this is a very good wine for the year. When it comes to extreme vintages, however, there is no question Masseto does better in cooler, not hotter, years. Extremely warm, dry conditions resulted in a harvest that started on August 25 and was finished by September 1, the earliest on record here.