Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Masseto 2016

A long period of drought determined the ripening of the grapes for 2016, but some rain came shortly before the harvest, creating perfect harvesting conditions. The result was a monumental wine, dense and extremely concentrated, as the almost black colour clearly indicates. The wine critics reacted accordingly enthusiastically. While there were still a few 99-point scores for the 2015, all the major critics gave the 2016 the highest score. The perfect ripeness of the grapes produced an exceptional wine, even for Masseto. Intense fruit, spices, cocoa and some oak, plus powerful yet soft tannins and invigorating acidity. In the 2016, all the elements come together in perfect harmony. Merlot can perhaps be made differently - but certainly not better.