2003 masseto, toscana

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Bottle size (ML)

Why We're Buying

Masseto Toscana IGT belongs in the fine wine hall of fame. While we could talk about the $900 price tag and the elite terroir, wine critic Monica Larner described the merlot best in 2016, saying, "Masseto has pulled off back-to-back home runs. This is the first time that an Italian wine has earned 100 points in successive vintages. The 2016 Masseto is a thunderstorm of emotions, but it manages to keep them under perfect control...These vintages are identical twins, two perfect wines."

Critics Scores

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Tasted at Jeurg Richter’s pre-Climens lunch. The Masseto ’03 oozes class with a ravishing, opulent bouquet with raspberry, kirsch, Kalamata olives and a touch of undergrowth. It has enticing definition and a sense of natural calm. The palate is beautifully balanced with svelte tannins, a nonchalant sense of self-being with gentle grip, filigree texture, more black than the red fruits evident on the nose, cedar and cigar box towards the understated finish. Stunning. Drink now-2020+ Tasted November 2009.

Wine Enthusiast

Produced in limited numbers, this showcases fine winemaking on all levels despite a hot vintage. The raspberry fruit and chocolate nuances are fragrant and intense; the oak is so well integrated you only feel its presence in the mouth, where the wine is opulent but also extremely silky. But the most exciting elements to this wine are its distinctive Mediterranean accents of menthol, wild sage and seaside shrubbery that beautifully recall its coastal Tuscan roots.

Vinous

The 2003 Masseto is tremendous tonight. I admit, 2003 is one of my least favorite vintages, and yet the wine is so delicious today. Exotic and opulent to the core, the 2003 shows all of the natural richness of this brutally hot, dry year in its dark, heady, super-ripe flavors. There is not a ton of nuance, but readers could certainly do worse. This is an especially fine showing for the 2003, that much is pretty clear. Harvest took place between August 25 and September 18, a very early start. Ultimately, the winemaking team decided to only use the heart of the Masseto vineyard, 'Masseto Centrale,' in the blend, which lowered production significantly in favor of quality, a strategy that paid off brilliantly. (AG)

Wine Spectator

This is ripe and meaty, with cherry and plum preserve notes and a touch of tar. Broad-shouldered and powerful, this reveals dense tannins and roasted, dried accents on the lingering finish. Extremely concentrated