Masseto

Masseto lies on the Masseto hill in the hills of Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast. The vineyard looks out over the Tyrrhenian Sea and is assigned to the town of Castagneto Carducci in Italy. The sheltered location in the Bolgheri hills combines with maritime conditions: damp sea breezes soften ripening and help, while during dry periods they preserve the acidity.

The vineyard stands on blue clay, which was formed from an ancient seabed and is described by the estate as Pliocene clay with marine fossils. Seismic deformation revealed the geological layers; the clay occurs in hard, stone-like accumulations known as the Massi, from which the vineyard and the wine take their name.

In 1986, a new Merlot vineyard was laid out on the clay of the Masseto hill. Merlot is the most important documented grape variety; in more recent documented vintages, Cabernet Franc is also harvested from the vineyard.

The individual plots are observed in detail and farmed according to their respective ripening conditions. The documented harvests are carried out by hand, with the harvest dates for the individual plots set separately.

From the first fruit of the newly planted vineyard, an experimental Merlot bottling was produced in 1986. The first official release under the name Masseto followed in 1987. Masseto is documented as Toscana IGT and, according to the estate, combines intense power with silky elegance, which is linked to the blue clay and the maritime location.