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Wine Advocate’s Monica Larner Interviews Ornellaia & Masseto’s estate Director Axel Heinz

Monica writes of two of Italy’s iconic wines from the 2019 hitting the market now.  She gets a great synopsis from Axel on the two flagship wines, Ornellaia and Masseto. 

“ML: Ornellaia and Masseto are two separate projects, both under your supervision, with dedicated wineries. What are their respective personalities, and how do the two wines either contrast or balance each other? 
AH: Both wines and their estates have very distinct personalities, although they were “born” more or less together and are only a stone’s throw away from each other. Ornellaia is certainly a unique expression of Bolgheri that combines a sense of genuinely Mediterranean opulence with vibrancy and elegance. At the same time, it is very representative of its appellation, as its vineyards are spread around the whole vineyard area and its blend uses all four of the main grape varieties planted in the area.
 
Masseto, on the other hand, has a terroir unlike any other in Bolgheri, dominated by the presence of blue clay in its soil, which combined with the Merlot grape gives a flamboyant wine that like no other manages to find the balance between concentration, power, elegance and freshness. As wines, they are the opposites, but both of them testify to the greatness of Bolgheri’s coastal terroir.”

Read the full story HERE.

Related Wines

    Ornellaia

    Ornellaia

    Bolgheri DOC Superiore

    Ornellaia is the estate's "Grand Vin", with exceptional balance, power, elegance, and great aging potential. It faithfully reflects, in every vintage, its nature, site, and distinctive Mediterranean personality.

Related Producers

    Ornellaia

    Bolgheri, Italy

    Ornellaia has established itself as one of the most iconic producers in Italy (and beyond). The estate is dedicated to producing charming and opulent wines, full of Mediterranean character and finesse, reflecting the estate's unique terroir in Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast.

    Masseto

    Bolgheri, Italy

    Masseto is one of the world's iconic wines. Coveted by international collectors and fine wine connoisseurs across the globe, Masseto constantly receives the highest accolades from the most prestigious wine critics in the world, and is a fixture in the international fine wine trade indexes.