2005 Masseto Toscana Tuscany 750 ml

There are many collector-worthy wines among the Italian Super Tuscans, but only one is considered by critics and collectors to be in the class of Right Bank Bordeaux estates Château Petrus and Château Cheval Blanc. 

That wine is Masseto. Today, we’re honored to share their pristine 2005 release—a library masterpiece with perfect provenance that’s ready to drink today. Opportunities like this are few and far between.

When we visited the legendary Ornellaia estate, we stood in silent awe as we looked upon the hill of Masseto, where the vineyards consist of rare blue clay—the same as at Petrus—and produce some of the most precious and age-worthy wine on the planet. The hill was planted to Merlot in the 1980s at the direction of legendary winemaker André Tchelistcheff, and now, with winemaking by Axel Heinz and overseen by Michel Rolland (Harlan Estate, Valandraud, Château Angélus), Masseto stands equal to any collectible wine in the world, bar none. In fact, it’s one of the few Italian wines listed on the prestigious Liv-Ex Fine Wine Index.

Our visit—and the fact that Wine Access members have claimed every offer from the Ornellaia estate in short order—earned us unprecedented access to the cellar, which means you get an incredible opportunity: Today you can gild your collection with the pristine 2005 vintage of Masseto, with perfect provenance, straight from Tenuta dell’Ornellaia in the Tuscan Maremma.

The 2005 shows a beautiful natural balance from the cool vintage, and is a stunning depiction of Tuscany’s finest terroir. Showing black fruit, tension, and elegance, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate called it “simply gorgeous,” and “a wine of extraordinary class and personality.” After 16 years in the cellar, it’s singing beautifully.

Lodovico Antinori’s inspiration for his first Bordeaux-style wine was his own cousin’s Sassicaia, a now-famous Tuscan blend that bucked the standard Sangioveses of the region. So Lodovico set about creating a competitor that, like Sassicaia, would consist largely of Cabernet Sauvignon. 

But his property, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, had one anomalous 17-acre section: a hilltop that consulting winemaker André Tchelistcheff knew was not ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon. It was, however, rich in the unique blue clay known for producing world-class Merlot. At first, Antinori was ambivalent, since the grape was all but unheard of in Tuscany. But finally, in 1984, he followed Tchelistcheff’s advice, and planted Masseto hill—purely to Merlot. 

The impact was immediate, as early vintages of the wine now known as Masseto won devoted fans and collectors, despite the fact that it was released at an even higher price than Cabernet-dominated Ornellaia. Masseto took a major step toward international Merlot primacy in 1991, when the consulting winemaker role passed to Right Bank Bordeaux guru Michel Rolland, and in the 2001 vintage, its status was sealed: Masseto earned perfect scores from both Wine Spectator and James Suckling, who concluded his review by saying: “Enjoy this for the rest of your life.” 

Now owned by the iconic Frescobaldi family, not much at Masseto has changed. Always composed of 100% Merlot grown in Petrus-like blue clay, Masseto is treated like a priceless Pomerol. It is hand-harvested, sorted and destemmed, then barrel-fermented in 100% new oak. After one year, the wine is blended, then goes back into barrique for a second year. After one more year in bottle, Masseto is released. Like clockwork, collectors rejoice.

No matter the year, Masseto is a cellar-defining masterpiece. We’re thrilled to share this stunning 2005 with you.