2014 Masseto Toscana IGT 750 ml

Beautiful aromas of violets and blackberry with hints of spice. Some sweet tobacco. Full body, yet refined and polished with ultra-fine tannins and a long, long finish. The texture and intensity are exceptional. Fantastic for the vintage. Drink in 2021 but a joy to taste.

A generally difficult vintage in Tuscany, with stubborn rains during August, but Masseto proves again that it stands apart. One of the longest and latest harvests on record, the result is proof that those famously sticky blue clays provide an effective barrier to rain. This is a gorgeous, powerful but extremely balanced expression of the Merlot grape. It’s the texture that is striking – silky but insistent, layer building upon layer until you feel the intensity as a physical presence, with an intensely fragrant mid-palate that holds on for several minutes. The sexy flourishes of Tuscany are here in abundance, but nothing is overpowering and instead the focus is on violet, liquorice, slate and smoky, charred blueberries with a contraction on the finish, the menthol edge tightening up like a zip.