critic reviews
Currently on the market, the 2022 Masseto is 100% Merlot grown on the estates distinctive blue clay soils. The wine immediately impresses with freshness, brightness and clarity. It shows firm but integrated tannins with a subtle salty note attributed to sodium-rich clays. According to proprietor Lamberto Frescobaldi, the magic of Masseto lies in its ability to stretch and consolidate across the palate, wrapping itself seamlessly in a kind of symbiosis that feels both expansive and complete. His point comes alive in this edition. Crafted for collectors, this vintage is intense and full yet never tiring, remaining solar and generous. The elevage is deliberately restrained with reduced wood influence despite the use of four coopers, including tonnelleries Taransaud and Baron, and 80% new oak, allowing the Merlot to remain dulcet and precise.
Cocoa bean, campfire, creamy raspberry fruits, fragrant and concentrated, plenty of grilled coffee beans and orange peel, complex, concentrated, nuanced, great quality. 24 months ageing in 100% new oak, then 12 months in bottle before release. Gaia Cinnirella winemaker, Marco Balsimelli production director at this wonderful 11ha property owned by the Frescobaldi family.
The 2022 Masseto is elegant and polished, just as it was when I first tasted it a few months ago. Bright red-toned fruit, blood orange, spice, menthol and cinnamon all meld together nicely in the glass. The lighter style of the year is evident, but there are no hard edges or awkward contours. The 2022 is a super-refined Masseto.