2022 Massetino Toscana 750 ml

Tuscany’s Masseto hill is one of the planet’s most iconic terroirs. 

Part of the Ornellaia estate, the vineyard was planted to Merlot in the 1980s at the direction of legendary winemaker André Tchelistcheff. Now it produces Merlot that stands with the greatest reds in the world.  

Collectors pay dearly for Masseto, the flagship wine from the site—but the savviest among them pay close attention to Massetino, which would be the crowning bottle at nearly any other estate. The 2022, with 97 points from both Decanter and James Suckling, stands as one of the finest Tuscan wines of the vintage. “Massetino is considered the second wine of Masseto,” wrote Decanter in their review of the 2022. “But I'm beginning to come to the conclusion that it's far more than that.”  

Lodovico Antinori founded Ornellaia after being inspired by his own cousin’s Sassicaia, so he set about creating a competitor that would also consist largely of Cabernet Sauvignon. But his property, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, had one anomalous 17-acre section: a hilltop that consultant Tchelistcheff knew was ideal for Merlot. Antinori was ambivalent, since Merlot was all but unheard of in Tuscany. Finally, in 1984, he followed Tchelistcheff’s advice, and the hill was planted—purely to Merlot. 

Masseto was a hit from the start, and the winery launched Massetino in the 2017 vintage. Crafted from younger vines, it’s got a more limber tannic framework and more primary fruit expression than Masseto. In addition to the signature Merlot, it also features a dollop of Cabernet Franc that lends it lift. The result is a spectacular wine that will elevate any cellar.