Winemaker Notes
2016 is a textbook year for the Masseto, with a typically Tuscan coastal climate which saw a dry and sunny vegetative season, with abundant sunshine and the right one amount of rain for perfect ripeness. 2016 presents itself with a particular color intense and young, the intense aroma of ripe dark fruit blends with subtle cocoa notes spices. On the palate, the rich and dense structure of ripe and silky tannins is balanced by a fruity note sensual and vibrant and with a lively acidity that keeps the long finish clean and full-bodied
Estate Manager Axel Heinz describes 2016 as a stress-free vintage in which there was no time pressure to pick. A healthy, clean crop allowed for standard vinification of 3-4 weeks on the skins at high temperatures, which is typical here. In 2017, unrelenting hot, dry conditions dehydrated the fruit. Yields were down 35%, while the berries were the smallest since 2011. As a result, Heinz and his team took a very different approach in the cellar, with lower temperatures in vinification and gentler extractions.
