Masseto is one of Italy's most sought-after red wines: pure Merlot from a single clay hill in Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast. Here you will find Masseto wine from the 2004 to 2022 vintages, several in magnum and 2022 in larger formats too, alongside the second wine, Massetino.
Masseto: from experiment to Bolgheri's cult Merlot
The story begins in the 1980s, when Lodovico Antinori founded Tenuta dell'Ornellaia in Bolgheri. The Russian-American winemaker André Tchelistcheff, who consulted for the estate, saw that one hill of heavy clay suited Merlot better than Cabernet. The vines went in in 1984, and the first harvest, 1986, was bottled simply as "Merlot". From 1987 the wine carried the name Masseto, after the Italian word masso for boulder, because the clay sits in large, hard lumps between the rows.
Masseto was long part of Ornellaia, and older bottles still carry the Ornellaia name. Today both belong to the Frescobaldi family, who made Masseto an estate in its own right with its own cellar, in use since the 2019 vintage. The wine is classified as Toscana IGT.
The blue clay behind Masseto wine and its style
The vineyard covers about seven hectares in three parcels on a hill looking out over the Tyrrhenian Sea. Beneath the roots runs a seam of ancient seabed: blue clay from the Pliocene, full of fossils of marine life. The clay holds water well while keeping the vines' vigour in check, and the soil is often compared with Pomerol. Light off the sea and cool coastal breezes temper ripening.
In the cellar Masseto spends 24 months in new oak barrels. After the first 12 months the separate lots are blended, and the wine goes back into barrel for another year. The result is a dense, velvety Merlot with dark fruit and firm structure. The estate keeps bottles of every vintage since 1986 in its own Masseto Caveau.
Massetino: the second wine of Masseto from Bolgheri
Massetino arrived with the 2017 vintage and was released in 2019. The grapes come from parcels shortlisted for Masseto that had not yet developed the character the flagship demands, including younger plantings of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Massetino is led by Merlot with a smaller share of Cabernet Franc, and it ages for 12 months in barrel, half of them new, followed by a year in bottle. Here you will find Massetino from 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Masseto vintages, magnums and wines from the same coast
The range runs from mature vintages such as 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2012 to the younger 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2022. 2011, 2020 and 2022 also come in magnum, and 2022 as a double magnum and an imperial as well.
To explore more from the same coast, see our page on Bolgheri, home also to Sassicaia from Tenuta San Guido. Ornellaia, Le Serre Nuove and Le Volte are on our Tenuta dell'Ornellaia page. If it is the grape that draws you in, browse our wide range of Merlot, and find more Super Tuscans under Tuscany.
Masseto wine FAQ
What grape is Masseto made from?
Masseto is 100 percent Merlot from the vineyard on the Masseto hill in Bolgheri.
Is Masseto the same as Ornellaia?
No. Masseto was born at Tenuta dell'Ornellaia but is now a separate estate with its own cellar. Ornellaia is a Bolgheri Superiore of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, while Masseto is pure Merlot.
What is the difference between Masseto and Massetino?
Masseto is the flagship from the best parcels. Massetino is the second wine, made from grapes not yet ready for Masseto, with a shorter time in barrel and a little Cabernet Franc in the blend.
What drives the price of Masseto wine?
Mainly vintage, maturity and bottle size. Masseto comes from only about seven hectares, mature vintages grow scarcer over time, and large formats such as the double magnum and imperial are particularly rare.
How long can you keep a bottle of Masseto?
Masseto is made for many years in the cellar, and a magnum develops even more slowly. Store the bottle lying down, in the dark and at a steady temperature.