Masseto

Masseto 2015 pairs exceptionally well with rich dishes such as braised meats, game, and aged cheeses, complementing its depth and complexity.

The 2015 vintage was characterized by a rainy and mild winter, leading to timely budbreak in early April. Spring featured dry and sunny weather, providing ideal conditions for regular vegetative growth and complete flowering by late May. July was particularly hot and dry, with maximum temperatures exceeding 30°C daily. Fortunately, abundant rain around August 10th alleviated water stress and unblocked ripening, leading to cooler temperatures during the final ripening phase. This favorable weather continued throughout the harvest, allowing for optimal picking times for different vineyard blocks. The harvest began on August 29th with the youngest vines and concluded on September 16th with the last portions of 'Masseto Centrale'.

The wine underwent 24 months of maturation in 100% new oak barriques, followed by an additional 12 months of bottle aging before release.

Hand-harvested bunches were carefully sorted by hand on a double sorting table before and after destemming, followed by gentle crushing. Six different lots were vinified separately. Fermentation occurred in both steel and wood tanks, followed by 15-20 days of maceration at temperatures between 25 and 30°C. Malolactic fermentation took place in 100% new oak barriques, with the different lots kept separate for the first 12 months of maturation. The wine was then blended and reintroduced into the barrels for another year, making a total of 24 months. After bottling, the wine was aged for an additional 12 months prior to release.

In 1981, Marchese Lodovico Antinori breathed new life into Tenuta dell' Ornellaia, an estate whose potential had been ignored for decades. With the help of Andre Tchelistcheff, the famous agronomist, Antinori planted the first French vines in Bolgheri, which lies in the heart of Tuscany's coastal region, Maremma. The estate yields some of the finest Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc in Tuscany. In 2002, Marchesi de' Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi became owners of Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, which is now owned exclusively by Marchesi de' Frescobaldi. Ornellaia has established itself among the iconic wine estates in Italy (and beyond). The estate is dedicated to producing charming and opulent wines, full of Mediterranean character and finesse, reflecting the estate’s unique terroir in Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast. The combination of Bolgheri’s unique soils and growing conditions, and what can only be characterized as a total obsession with excellence, result in the world-class wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc that so many wine lovers across the world have come to cherish.