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This is a Masseto that is its own now with balance and harmony. It shows delicate chocolate and berry character with hints of hazelnut. Medium to full body. Long silky finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JSTasted next to the 2002, the 2005 Masseto is perhaps a bit edgier, with an extra kick of tannic intensity that gives the wine its sense of direction and a good kick of energy too. I very much admire the tension in the 2005, a wine built on freshness, aromatic depth and mid-weight structure. Cool, rainy weather towards the end of the season resulted in a late harvest that took place between September 14 and 30.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGFruit was picked later than normal and the Masseto Merlot does indeed show mature aromas of black cherry, ripe blackberry, earthy iron and polished stone. The intensity and purity are amazing and the wine is sophisticated, soft and very rich on the finish. It is already showing beautiful evolution in the glass.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2005 Masseto (Merlot) is simply gorgeous. A wine of extraordinary class and personality, it remains very primary in its dark fruit, licorice, cassis and toasted oak. It offers notable concentration and well-integrated tannins, all of which convey an impression of awesome harmony, finesse and balance. The tricky growing season seems to have been less of an issue for the Merlot, particularly in the old-vine Masseto Centrale vineyard. The 2005 Masseto has been superb every time I have tasted it thus far. As is often the case, the wine requires at least a few years of bottle age before it becomes approachable. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPAn exotic bouquet reveals floral, spice, cherry compote and truffle elements. A Masseto that’s all about elegance, with a silky texture, wild berry fruit, firm tannins and bright acidity. This still has some tannins to give, but is delicious now. Fine length. Merlot.—Non-blind Masseto vertical (October 2017). Drink now through 2033. 2,660 cases made, 550 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The wine that most delighted me at this historic tasting of Tuscany's most iconic wines was the 2006 Masseto. This is a wine of sheer power, bliss, opulence, infinity and sublime seduction. This Merlot-based masterpiece hits all your senses with the grace of a ballerina and the power of a heavyweight. It is steady on its proverbial feet, but it also glides over the palate with a profound sense of elegance, harmony and rhythm. Among the prized vintages of Masseto, including 2001, 2004 and 2007, this edition is my favorite. The wine delivers an extra sense of tightness or firmness at the back that serves to stitch together its fleshy richness and general sumptuousness. The personality is sunny, expansive, articulate and sophisticated. You'll remember that the 2006 vintage is celebrated for the elegance of its wines. In the coastal Bolgheri appellation, it is also remembered for the power of its wines. You get the best of both worlds with this stunning creation: elegance and power. These traits are particularly well suited to the versatile grape variety at the heart of this Tuscan all-rounder. This is a true Renaissance wine.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPI still remember where I was the first time I tasted the 2006 Masseto. Since then, I have tasted the 2006 several times. It has never been anything less than utterly profound. That is once again the case on this night. Readers who are cellaring the 2006 Masseto in magnum will want to wait at least a few years for it to be at its very best. Still, it is magnificent tonight.Antonio Galloni | 99 AGThis has a special savory character that is fascinating. It shows beautiful aromas of dried fruits, black olives, and brown sugar. Full-bodied with a phenomenal amount of fruit and freshness at the same time. Salty, juicy and fruity. Hard not to drink now. Decant two or three hours before serving. Great potential for aging.James Suckling | 99 JSIt is perhaps no surprise that very distinctive vintage conditions in 2006 produced such a special wine. A huge drought from mid-April to mid-September saw only 4mm of rain, which was followed by a deluge of 240mm in one weekend. ‘This wine had one of the highest alcohols and highest acidities we had ever seen’, comments Axel Heinz. Perhaps it is this contradiction that makes the 2006 so distinctive. It is brimming with vivid Merlot aromas including ripe red fruit, plums and contrasting green tomato and spice notes. The rich concentration and opulent texture is offset by vivid acidity. Flavours of green olive, spice and black cherry seem to spring to life on the palate. It has all the lush, velvety tannins you would expect of Masseto, but it bursts into life with a lively, slightly wild personality.Decanter | 98 DECBeautiful aromas of perfumes, berries and flowers turn to light toasty oak and sandalwood. Full-bodied, with very well-integrated tannins that build and coat your palate. Long and silky-textured on the finish. Shows great class and finesse. Merlot. Best after 2012. 2,660 cases made.Wine Spectator | 98 WSThis wine shows growing intensity the longer it stays in the glass and a very silky, polished feel in the mouth. Aromas include red fruit, spice and rosemary: this is a beautiful, balanced wine that will have a long life in your cellar.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WE

This vintage of the 2022 Masseto is 100% Merlot. The nose is pronounced, leading with its mineral aromas of crushed dark stones. It smells like dissolved minerals, delicate peppery accents, black plum, red apples, lavender perfume, and sage. The aromatics are quite profound in this vintage, and on the palate, it’s full-bodied and more structured, with ripe tannins and a good deal of depth and richness, with the minerality shining through. Long on the palate, it’s generous all the way through, and while it feels approachable upfront, more structure comes through on the finish. Allow it some time in cellar and drink 2028-2058.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThe summer was so arid in 2022 that the vines shut down and ripening was halted until mid-August rains arrived. This helped to preserve acidity in the grapes, giving sensational freshness to balance the rich and finely structured palate. Masseto 2022, then, combines the best of both worlds: fruit ripeness and concentration, and freshness and poise. It’s not as immediately seductive as the 2021, but there is so much potential in this long-lived vintage. Scents of cool, damp earth, dark hedgerow berries, Mediterranean scrub, and cocoa and wood give a sense of what is to come once time has untangled everything. Zingy, crunchy acidity steals the show early on, segueing into a mouthful of succulent yet dense dark berries and spice imbued with plenty of energy. Then some balsamic herbs and floral notes lighten the palate, before a touch of salinity and some bitter herbs emerge on the finish, with a refrain of bright cherry. Something special.Decanter Magazine | 98 DECA solid and structured red with blackcurrant, chocolate and walnut aromas and underlying toasted wood. Medium- to full-bodied with chewy tannins and a chewy, savory finish. Hints of coconut and toasted oak. It’s muscular and toned. It needs time to soften. Best after 2028.James Suckling | 97 JSThis red is both well-structured and framed with new oak nuances of vanilla, toast and resin, setting the stage for plum, blackberry, fruitcake, mineral and tobacco flavors. There’s a salty element interwoven throughout, along with a fluid feel. Offers fine grip on the lingering finish, so give the dense tannins some time to integrate. Merlot. Best from 2028 through 2043. 410 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2022 Masseto is soft, open-knit and relatively easygoing. The mid-weight structure of the year is very much in evidence in a wine that speaks more to finesse than power. Dark red cherry, plum, new leather, licorice and incense gradually open over time, supported by fine, silky tannins that wrap it all together in style. Masseto is typically much more potent in the early going, in 2022 the more refined style that has begun to emerge here along with the style of the year yield a Masseto that is quite elegant. Its balance is beyond reproach, especially in the integration of something that usually requires at least a few years in bottle.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Massetino is considered the second wine of Masseto, but I’m beginning to come to the conclusion that it’s far more than that. It represents around one-third of the production of Masseto, and judging by the quality of this 2022, next year’s release of the grand vin could be absolutely phenomenal. Massetino has always incorporated a portion Cabernet Franc since its first vintage, 2017 – 10% in 2022. A cool and dry spring led to a slightly late budbreak, followed by 75 days of drought and high temperatures. Summer storms eventually came along to restore balance, and the cool September evenings were perfect for the grapes reach full ripeness. Each parcel was vinified separately and spontaneously in concrete tanks before undergoing malolactic fermentation in barriques, 50% new. After 12 months, the final blend was made and the wine spent a further three months in concrete before bottling. Bright and stony, there’s so much energy here. Zingy and sapid, it combines fresh Mediterranean herbs and poised fruit, with more verticality than Masseto 2021 and just as much concentration. Incredible precision and beautiful freshness, especially considering the vintage.Decanter | 97 DECThis is refined and fresh with hints of sandalwood to the beautiful blue fruits. It’s medium-bodied with creamy and polished tannins that frame the blue fruit and hints of crushed stone. Succulent and juicy with a crunchy personality. You want a sip right away. Second wine of the highest quality from Masseto. So drinkable and wonderful. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is opulent, with a lush texture enveloping black cherry, blackberry and plum flavors. Flashes of tar, iron and wild herbs add detail as this red builds to the long finish. Balanced and fresh, with sweet, lingering oak spice notes. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2040. 160 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

‘The idea of Massetino is to create a more approachable wine,’ states winemaker, Gaia Cinnirella. And combined with the plump juiciness and aromatic appeal of 2023, this is incredibly enticing. Ripe dark berry scents mingle with damp earth, Mediterranean scrub and chocolatey nuances. It has a steely energy, coiled and bright, its vertical structure padded out by generous juicy, creamy red and black berries, and supported by fine-grained tannins. It’s a bold expression this year, with a slightly drying woody finish that should resolve with time in the bottles, but it’s countered by freshness and a really lovely line of acidity which runs through the body. Delicious!Decanter Magazine | 96 DECA dark, super-intense, rich and complex wine. On the nose it shows restrained bramble fruit, vanilla, cloves, eucalyptus and leather. Lots of graphite on the palate, with firm, velvety tannins, chocolate flavors, refreshing acidity and a chalky, oaky finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSLush and well-marked by toasty oak, this red displays plum, blackberry, leather, vanilla and salt flavors. A dense matrix of tannins lends support as this extends on the lightly chewy finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2033.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2023 Massetino is an attractive and expressive wine. Medium in body, the 2023 offers up an attractive mix of dark plum, mocha, new leather, cedar and espresso. Time in the glass brings out pretty floral and spice top notes. The oak and extraction feel just a bit pushed for the wine’s mid-weight structure. The 2023 was done in a period of transition with technical teams and winemakers, and that is evident in this particular vintage.Vinous Media | 90 VM