The VAULT

wines

The 1990 Le Pergole Torte is deep, powerful and rich through the middle, but is also beginning to show the first signs of oxidation. The ripeness of the vintage comes through clearly in the wine’s forward personality. In 1990, Montevertine bottled their best 50HL cask separately as a Riserva. While that wine is epic, one can only wonder how much that decision may have affected the quality of the remaining juice. At the same time, this double magnum does not appear to be in the very best shape. My impression is that the 1990 is a better wine than this tasting suggests.Vinous Media | 93 VMStill all in fruit and structure. Dark ruby in color, with bright raspberry and earth aromas. Full- to medium-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and a long, caressing finish.--Montevertine vertical. Drink now through 2005. 900 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe celebrated 1990 vintage was harvested by 15 October, with yields slightly higher than average yet perfectly ripe. The wine possesses a slightly cloudy appearance and some mushroomy aromas, perhaps derived from an imperfect bottle. However, the meaty nose sweetens in the glass to a floral bouquet with dark cherry, liquorice and white truffle notes. It’s full-bodied on the palate, with a velvety framework of tannins sustained by fresh acidity.Decanter | 93 DEC

The 1996 Le Pergole Torte, from a cold, late-ripening vintage, is powerful and explosive, with a compelling interplay of ripeness, sweetness and structure. Cherry jam, wild flowers, mint, sweet spices, menthol and licorice meld together in the glass, while lavender, rose petal, quinine and a host of aromatic notes come alive on the finish. Although striking today, the 1996 will drink well for another 10-15 years, perhaps longer. Today, it is truly special. In 1996, the harvest began on October 21, exceedingly late, even for Montevertine.Vinous Media | 95 VMI started off loving the 1996 Le Pergole Torte, but I ended my evaluation on a less enthusiastic note. The bouquet opens slowly with dark fruit tones and spicy notes of cinnamon and clove. Dusty mineral tones also appear as subtle accents with licorice and balsam herb. Its aromatic presentation is less yielding and fluid overall. The wine offers complexity and depth, but in a more monolithic and one-directional manner. There is little polarity here. The wine ends on a sweetly pungent note with candied fruit, canned peach and honey. It finishes on a heavy note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPA seductive red, with subtle aromas yet a powerful structure. Medium-bodied, with berry, tea, tobacco and cigar box on the nose and a medium finish. Slightly mouthpuckering from the dense, silky tannins. Needs bottle age. Best after 2000. 1,600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Dense garnet in colour, this vintage of Masseto is restrained with a lavish elegance on the nose, displaying mint, milk, wild fennel (typical along the roads in Bolgheri), leather and white truffle. It is vibrant and mineral on the big palate, creamy at first then velvety on the mid-palate and super-ripe on the finish, woven with refreshing acidity and cassis meatiness. One of the greatest Masseto ever, and one of the best wines produced in Bolgheri (alongside Ornellaia 1998 and Sassicaia 1985). Simply, perfect! Drinking Window 2021 - 2041.Decanter | 100 DECThis is clearly a perfect wine and just now starting to open and show you its sheer beauty. It's balanced with fascinating rosemary and dark fruit character that turns to plums and light chocolate. The undertones on the nose remind me of walking through the Masseto vineyard during a cool summer's morning. It finally softens at the finish and shows a stunning fruit and acid tension. Finally softening and showing it true greatness. Decant four hours before.James Suckling | 100 JSEven better than the highly acclaimed 2001 vintage, this Merlot from a tiny, clay soil vineyard in Bolgheri is just about everything you've ever dreamed of tasting. Gorgeous, generous, voluptuous, cheerful, succulent and intense: Masseto is all those things. The aromas are seamless and capture the essence of chocolate fudge, sweet cherry, blackberry, spice and vanilla. It boasts thick, dense extraction, excellent structure and amazing persistence.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEOffers a terrific bouquet of ripe, mellowing cherry and berry, accented by leather and incense hints. Shows fine tension between the firm, vibrant structure and ripe fruit, with grace notes of Mediterranean herbs, cigar box and mineral. Velvety and long, with a fabulous, fresh aftertaste. Merlot.—Non-blind Masseto vertical (October 2017). Drink now through 2038. 2,670 cases made, 520 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 99 WSThe 2001 Masseto is one of the all-time great wines here. Vertical and soaring in its intensity, the 2001 occupies all dimensions, especially texturally, where it is so rich, so heady and so compelling. Next to other wines, or other vintages, the 2001 just has more of everything. I imagine well-stored bottles will drink well for another 15-20 years. The 2001’s reputation as an iconic wine is clearly justified. This magical vintage was marked by cooling temperatures in September that resulted in a drawn out harvest that took four weeks to complete. Note: The bottle in the Nashville tasting was not perfect, so this note corresponds to a more recent and more representative example. I have seen more bottle variation with the 2001 than other vintages.Antonio Galloni | 98 AGThe massive 2001 Masseto forms with Le Macchiole’s Messorio and Tua Rita’s Redigaffi a trio of world class Merlots in a ten square mile area where the variety virtually did not exist 15 years ago. The volume, richness, and sumptuousness are almost beyond description, as are the length and density of the flow and finish, but there is an underlying vein of purity and freshness which help maintain an impeccable balance. Drink: 2006-2025.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP

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

A wine with superb finesse and depth. So subtle and understated yet powerful and long. The tannin intensity is amazing. It just builds like a massive wave. Superb. Give this time in the bottle. The length is endless. Better in 2018.James Suckling | 100 JSSumptuous, offering ripe aromas of plum, cherry, spice, earth, iron and tobacco. Velvety in texture and elegant, this nonetheless has an ironclad structure underneath. Firm and long, fresh, echoing tobacco and mineral. Seductive, yet reserved too.—Non-blind Valdicava Brunello vertical (July 2017). Best from 2023 through 2043. 3,900 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSHere is a big wine with lofty ambitions and an impactful presentation. The Valdicava 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano hits all the right buttons. The wine shows a profound sense of elegance and poise with subtle berry notes that blend into spice, licorice and tar. Those bright and lively aromatic components fold gracefully within the wine's tight texture, its sheer power and the silky nature of the tannins. This wine promises a long and steady aging future ahead.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPThe 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is a classic Valdicava wine built on power, intensity and depth. Black cherry, smoke, licorice, dark spices and menthol make a strong first impression, followed by huge waves of tannin and acidity that will require at least a few years to settle down. In a part of Montalcino that is known for finesse, the Madonna del Piano is decidedly powerful, concentrated and extracted. Readers will want to give the 2010 a good bit of air, as the Madonna del Piano needs quite a bit of time to open up.Vinous Media | 93 VM