Masseto 2015

Compared to a rather particular 2014, the 2015 proved to be an almost ‘text book’ vintage. After a rainy and mild winter, with just a few days of temperatures below zero, budbreak arrived on time during the first days of April. Spring was characterized by dry and sunny weather, providing ideal conditions for regular
vegetative growth that culminated in a quick and complete flowering at the end of May. From June on, water stress gradually became evident. July will be remembered as a particularly torrid, dry month, with maximum temperatures exceeding 30°C every single day of the month. The heat, combined with the absence of rains, made us fear a shut-down in the ripening and the need for an early harvest. Luckily rain fell abundantly around 10 August that not only unblocked the ripening but also brought much cooler temperatures during the final ripening phase. This cool, yet sunny, weather continued throughout the harvest, allowing us to pick the grapes with great ease, choosing just the right moment to harvest the different vineyard blocks, resulting in a fresh and lively aromatic quality with a perfect degree of phenolic ripeness along with abundant, yet silky
and soft, tannins. The harvest began on 29 August with the youngest vines and finished on the 16 September with the last portions of ‘Masseto Centrale’.

The particularly regular vintage, along with an ideal temperature during the harvest, is reflected in a classic Masseto, with a perfect balance between a mature, yet complex, aromatic expression of great freshness and a rare quality of ample, silky and smooth tannins. The dark and intense colour is followed by a rich aroma with hints of fully ripe red fruit and spicy, balsamic and cocoa notes. In the mouth it becomes sensual and rich, with great density and an ample and perfectly smooth tannin. The fruity notes are underlined by the subtle presence of oak - terminating in a fresh and vivid finish with pronounced hints of cocoa.