Masseto 2017 IGT Toscana Tenuta dell'Ornellaia
Climate
2017 will be remembered as one of the hottest and driest vintages in recent history. Due to an unusually mild winter, with temperatures 3°C above average, budding took place two weeks early. With the exception of a brief period of cold weather towards the end of April, the entire growing season was dominated by warm and dry weather, which led to less foliage development. Flowering and fruit set took place under good conditions, but the lack of water limited the size of bunches and berries. July and August were hot and almost rainless, but fortunately characterised by sufficiently cool nights to allow the vines to recover from the heat and continue to ripen the fruit steadily, maintaining excellent levels of acidity in the grapes. The harvest started early and was the quickest ever, with only three days between 24 and 30 August. Given the special conditions, the grapes were harvested by vine age rather than by individual parcel, thus producing only four different lots.
Vinification and ageing
The grapes, harvested by hand in 15 kg crates, were sorted by hand on a double sorting table before and after destemming and then subjected to a soft crushing. Fermentation took place in both steel and cement vats, with small quantities in barrels. Given the small size of the berries and the high concentration of the fruit, extraction was carried out delicately, with few pumping over and temperatures of a maximum of 25°C, in order to keep the aromas fresh and vibrant. Maceration times were short, with a total stay in the tank of no more than 21 days. Malolactic fermentation began in 100% new oak barrels, keeping the individual batches separate for the first 12 months of maturation. Subsequently, the wine was blended and reintroduced into the barriques for another year, for a total of 24 months. Masseto 2017 continued ageing for a further 12 months in the bottle before being released on the market.
Tasting notes
Masseto 2017 is certainly a child of its vintage, which managed to encapsulate all the maturity and concentration of a particularly sunny and dry season.
The colour is almost black, and the nose reveals a rich and ripe expression of black fruit, with hints of spice and liquorice.
On the palate, the wine manages to combine great intensity and ripeness of the fruit with a remarkable sense of balance and freshness. The tannins create a dense and velvety structure, with a lingering fruity finish and vibrant acidity providing a fresh touch. Despite being the result of one of the hottest vintages, the 2017 can be considered a typical Masseto, with its unmistakable combination of richness and elegance.
