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Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)
Axel Heinz turning out yet again a wine that is generous and moreish but that goes deeper, offering layers of coffee, smoked herbs, rosemary, saffron, gentle waves of powerful brambled fruits. Mouthwatering, with tension and precision. Finely spun tannin that are elastic in embracing and taming the exuberant fruits yet chewy enough on the finish to show there is plenty of ageing ability ahead. Makes a big impression and yet has that Italian ability to be gulpable at the same time. A more elegant, moreish version of Merlot than you get in the biggest Pomerols, but every bit as beautiful. 11ha.د.إ7,035.00 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)
Axel Heinz turning out yet again a wine that is generous and moreish but that goes deeper, offering layers of coffee, smoked herbs, rosemary, saffron, gentle waves of powerful brambled fruits. Mouthwatering, with tension and precision. Finely spun tannin that are elastic in embracing and taming the exuberant fruits yet chewy enough on the finish to show there is plenty of ageing ability ahead. Makes a big impression and yet has that Italian ability to be gulpable at the same time. A more elegant, moreish version of Merlot than you get in the biggest Pomerols, but every bit as beautiful. 11ha.د.إ7,850.00 -
The Wine Independent (100)
Masseto is Italy's most expensive red wine, currently releasing onto the market with prices between 800-1000 euros per bottle. From the start it has been a 100% Merlot wine but for the first time in 2019 we see the inclusion of 10% Cabernet Franc. In my view this is a very intelligent move and a good response to climate change; Cabernet Franc has a natural home in Bolgheri and it is a later ripening variety. When it ripens well, it can add great depth of fragrance and flavor to a wine. The 2019 is deeply colored and dark purple in tone with an intriguing perfumed, violet note on the nose and lots of spice, red fruits, and black raspberry on the palate. The tannins are very fine and tightly knit and there is a lovely harmony and freshness to this wine with bright acidity providing a fresh finish. There is also a lick of creamy oak on the finish, but all very subtly done. The Masseto 2019 has a perfect texture and weight. It is concentrated but supremely elegant at the same time. For Axel Heinz, Director of Winemaking: “The 2019s are in a sweet spot at the moment.” I think I have to agree! Drink 2024 -2045.د.إ3,130.00 -
The Wine Independent (100)
Masseto is Italy's most expensive red wine, currently releasing onto the market with prices between 800-1000 euros per bottle. From the start it has been a 100% Merlot wine but for the first time in 2019 we see the inclusion of 10% Cabernet Franc. In my view this is a very intelligent move and a good response to climate change; Cabernet Franc has a natural home in Bolgheri and it is a later ripening variety. When it ripens well, it can add great depth of fragrance and flavor to a wine. The 2019 is deeply colored and dark purple in tone with an intriguing perfumed, violet note on the nose and lots of spice, red fruits, and black raspberry on the palate. The tannins are very fine and tightly knit and there is a lovely harmony and freshness to this wine with bright acidity providing a fresh finish. There is also a lick of creamy oak on the finish, but all very subtly done. The Masseto 2019 has a perfect texture and weight. It is concentrated but supremely elegant at the same time. For Axel Heinz, Director of Winemaking: “The 2019s are in a sweet spot at the moment.” I think I have to agree! Drink 2024 -2045.د.إ8,165.00 -
Vinous (100)
The 2021 Masseto is a stunner. It also shows how much the estate has evolved in recent years. I was reminded of that recently when I drank the 2001, considered by many observers, including this one, to be one of the greatest wines ever made here. The 2021 represents a move towards a more refined style. There’s less of the bombastic intensity and extraction that were once the norm here. I remember young vintages that were impossible to taste young. The 2021, on the other hand, is an absolute delight. Crushed flowers, spice, blood orange and bright, red-toned fruit all grace the palate. Floral aromatics and saline underpinnings are at times reminiscent of the Cabernet Franc found in the 2019 and 2020, but the 2021 is back to the classic 100% Merlot. Readers will find a Masseto built on linear energy more than volume. The 2021 is quite simply the most exquisite, refined young Masseto I have ever tasted. Aging was 24 months in 100% new French oak.د.إ7,790.00 -
Wine Advocate (95)
Here's our new little super star from the Tuscan Coast. The 2018 Massetino is Merlot with a dash of Cabernet Franc that makes all the difference in terms of the wine's aromatic precision and its overall staying power. Dark fruit and dried blackberry are followed by exotic spice and campfire ash. The aromas are fluid and relaxed, flowing seamlessly in unison and grace. If you love Masseto, you can't miss the Massetino. This wine offers a whole new take on the world-famous Merlot, and if we are to be honest, it paints a path to where future vintages of Masseto are going as an expression of a vineyard and territory rather than just a strict read of one grape.د.إ4,120.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (95+)
The 2019 Massetino is 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. This is only the third vintage of this cuvée, which adds a splash of Cabernet Franc to give a dramatically different take on Masseto. Ripe black cherries, currants, tobacco leaf, scorched earth, and ample graphite are just some of the nuances here, and it does have a slightly more floral, herbal, focused edge compared to the more round and opulent Grand Vin. Rock solid on the palate and structured, tannic, yet balanced and concentrated, it's built for the long haul and will need 7-8 years to hit maturity, but it’s going to have 25-30 years of overall longevity.د.إ3,920.00 -
Wine Advocate (95)
The Masseto 2020 Massetino (Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Franc) is extremely generous and rich. This wine puts it all out there in full view with a bouquet that is stitched together with ripe blackberry and black cherry preserves, black stone or pencil shaving, sweet spice, cigar, smoke and tar. This was a warm and sunny vintage, and you feel the power of those sunbeams locked within the dark, opulent and concentrated fruit on display here. This is a special treat, and the 2020 edition offers a clear identity for Massetino. This vintage comes close to out-powering the bouquet of the 2019 Masseto also hitting the market now.د.إ2,410.00 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The Masseto 2021 Massetino is mostly Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Franc for good measure. The wine (packaged in a heavy glass bottle) is very richly concentrated and layered. You see (and taste) the opulent texture of the wine as it slowly coats the glass. Quality fruit is matched by carefully selected oak, and the intensity of both builds on the palate. This vintage is poised for especially long cellar aging. This vintage of Massetino (2021) scores neck-in-neck with the current vintage (2020) of Masseto.د.إ2,630.00 -
Decanter (97)
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.د.إ2,525.00 -
Wine Spectator (95)
A stream of pure, juicy cherry fruit is at the heart of this red, along with mineral, tobacco and wild herb notes. Firm and tightly wound, with a matrix of dense, refined tannins for support. All the elements are in the right proportions, this just needs time. Best from 2023 through 2045. 5,800 cases made, 2,100 cases imported.د.إ927.00 -
Decanter (94)
While at the village level in 2018 we seem to find more dilute wines, Massolino should be considered an exception because they produced just a village Barolo, a blend of all their MGAs, including Vigna Rionda. The wine shines for its bright ruby colour, meaty and tarry with a incredible depth of rhubarb and minerality. Open-knit with its wild strawberry and cherry fruits, it flows on the velvety palate, lean yet refined, with polished tannins and brilliant integrated acidity. The finish is all cherry kernel and liquorice root. With this 2018 the estate confirms its consistency.د.إ628.00 -
Wine Spectator (96)
This is smoky, with tobacco- and mineral-tinged cherry and strawberry flavors. Quickly gives way to firm, mouthcoating tannins, yet finds equilibrium overall, lingering well. Best from 2019 through 2035. 150 cases imported. -BSد.إ1,810.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
The 2015 Barolo Margheria is the first single-vinyard Barolo I tasted from Massolino in a lineup that started with the most delicate wine and ended with the most powerful expression. Considering that we are talking about Serralunga d'Alba (the township known for the most powerful Baroli overall), the word "delicate" should be taken with a grain of salt. The vines here are 37 years old, and the soils are slightly looser and sandier in nature. This wine is just slightly more accessible than the other cru expressions with elegant mineral notes that frame dark fruit, spice and pressed violets. This could be a good pairing opportunity with Florentine tripe in a tomato sauce.د.إ1,450.00 -
Vinous (95)
The 2017 Barolo Margheria is a compelling, multi-faceted Barolo loaded with personality. Sage, mint, lavender, spice, iron and red/purplish berry fruit grace this firm, classically built Barolo. This translucent, taut Barolo has so much to offer, but it also needs time to soften. Readers will find a terrific example of Margheria.د.إ604.00 -
Vinous (95)
The 2017 Barolo Margheria is a compelling, multi-faceted Barolo loaded with personality. Sage, mint, lavender, spice, iron and red/purplish berry fruit grace this firm, classically built Barolo. This translucent, taut Barolo has so much to offer, but it also needs time to soften. Readers will find a terrific example of Margheria.د.إ1,310.00 -
Jancis Robinson (17+)
Serralunga d'Alba. Youthful mid ruby. Savoury and minerally cherry fruit on the nose. Compact, sour-cherry palate that is elegant and lively, but still embryonic and with a rich layer of finely woven tannins. Cranberry and sour cherry of great length on the finish. The palate really lulls you into thinking you could approach it now.د.إ962.00 -
Wine Advocate (95)
The 2010 Barolo Parussi hits its stride with an amazing bouquet that is as generous as it is complex and compelling. The wine boasts a dark ruby color with delicate amber highlights and shows a deep level of color saturation and richness. Its perfumes are redolent of sweet cherry, black fruit, dark licorice, cigar ash and wet earth. There’s a bright floral note of pressed red rose that lifts delicately as the wine warms in the glass. The meeting of the wine’s acidic component and its tannic firmness is absolutely seamless. Drink: 2017-2030.د.إ1,940.00 -
Wine Advocate (95)
This wine was not made in 2014, when this vineyard site in Castiglione Falletto was hit by not one but two violent hailstorms. Thankfully, the 2015 Barolo Parussi comes from a trouble-free growing season and has resulted in one of the best expressions of the cru made by Massolino thus far, with the first vintage produced in 2007. This site sees a unique soil profile, with sand that is much richer in organic materials compared to the estate's historic vineyard sites. The terrain enjoys two exposures because the vines are planted over the crest of a hill. Harvest comes later here, as well, because the growing cycle is slower and Parussi is one of the last parcels to show beautiful leaf color in the autumn. Thanks to all those extra variables, the winemaking team has a little more to play with in order to achieve complexity and integration. In our progression from least to most powerful single-vineyard wines tasted, this was the third wine in the lineup. Indeed, this wine offers more "grasso" or body weight and volume. Dark mineral tones make for an elegant finish. However, the tannins are very young and need more time to soften. This is your proverbial cellar wine.د.إ1,280.00 -
Vinous (95)
The 2017 Barolo Parussi is a classic Castiglione Falletto Barolo. Sweet floral notes and bright, red berry fruit open first as the 2017 shows off its considerable charms. Medium in body and silky (for the year), with exceptional balance, the 2017 Parussi is stellar. This is an unbelievably classy Barolo.د.إ834.00 -
Vinous (95)
The 2017 Barolo Parussi is a classic Castiglione Falletto Barolo. Sweet floral notes and bright, red berry fruit open first as the 2017 shows off its considerable charms. Medium in body and silky (for the year), with exceptional balance, the 2017 Parussi is stellar. This is an unbelievably classy Barolo.د.إ1,110.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
The very complete and immensely enjoyable 1998 Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda presents a superbly elegant nose of violets, menthol, spices, licorice, smoke and underbrush. It comes across as soft yet persistent, and displays beautifully delineated flavors of rich dark fruit, with a balsamic note that develops in the glass, finishing with great length and overall balance. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2018.د.إ2,750.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (95)
The 2001 Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda is in a great place now. It, too, has aged beautifully. Macerated cherry, spice, cedar and new leather soar over the palate. At nearly 25 years of age, the 2001 is still quite vibrant and fresh. I expected to see a bit more evolution, to be honest. This is a terrific showing.د.إ9,760.00 -
Wine Enthusiast (98)
Hailing from one of the most celebrated vineyards in the entire denomination, this focused beauty boasts layers of complexity and depth, starting with its classic Nebbiolo aromas of forest floor, new leather, violet and wild berry. Balanced and firmly structured, the palate shows tension, power and elegance, delivering succulent Morello cherry, crushed raspberry, tobacco and licorice alongside firm, aristocratic tannins. It's still young but already beautifully balanced, with bright acidity.د.إ2,485.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)
The 2014 Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda is elegant, silky and vibrant. Massolino was among the few producers who were able to ride out a cold, rainy summer and let fruit hang through a late summer and early fall that were blessed with warm, dry weather and cool nights—perfect conditions for opening Nebbiolo. The 2014 is so sensual, so pure. Another recent bottle showed more mid-palate depth. Either way, the Massolino Rionda is an unqualified success in 2014.د.إ883.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)
The 2014 Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda is elegant, silky and vibrant. Massolino was among the few producers who were able to ride out a cold, rainy summer and let fruit hang through a late summer and early fall that were blessed with warm, dry weather and cool nights—perfect conditions for opening Nebbiolo. The 2014 is so sensual, so pure. Another recent bottle showed more mid-palate depth. Either way, the Massolino Rionda is an unqualified success in 2014.د.إ2,405.00 -
Vinous (96)
The 2015 Barolo Riserva Vigna Rionda is a magnificent wine that shows all the magic this site is so famous for. All the Rionda signatures open in the glass. Sweet dark cherry/plum, lavender, spice, mint and pine meld together in a sensual, beautifully layered Barolo that pushes all the right buttons. The 2015 is going to need a few years to soften, but it is undeniably vivid and arresting in its sheer allure.د.إ2,890.00 -
James Suckling (96)
Super-elegant but really tight aglianico here with lightly peppery black fruit, colored with inky and spicy notes. With aeration, you move into the herbal zone, with fresh bay-leaf, chai and light rosemary. The palate is medium-to full-bodied and you feel all the aromas pent-up, ready to burst out. The tension here is palpable and this will need several more years before the firm tannins soften, allowing the wine to open up and flood your palate. Still be patient. Try from 2024.د.إ1,190.00 -
James Suckling (96)
This is super silky and elegant aglianico with a deep and dense core of ripe red and black fruit. Full-bodied with beautifully embedded, fine-grained tannins and a long, controlled finish. Just a little pull on the mouth right at the end, so probably best to give it another year or two, if you can resist. Best from 2024.د.إ1,270.00 -
James Suckling (97)
Wow. What a gorgeous Brunello with complex and beautiful aromas and flavors of cherries, flowers, walnuts and berries. It’s full-bodied, yet so polished and refined with soft, creamy tannins that are long and linear at the end. It goes on for minutes. Drinkable now, but better in 2022.د.إ1,690.00
Italy has gone from strength to strength, with standards of winemaking improving all the time and more indigenous varietals than ever before reaching foreign markets. Every single region is a treasure trove of undiscovered gems worth exploring, while the more classic wines like Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino have more than caught up in quality with their French counterparts without catching up in price. A dizzying array of style and a natural affinity with food means there is really no need to look any further no matter the occasion.
