($230; 100% merlot) Dark, saturated ruby. Perfumed aromas of black cherry, dark chocolate and leather, with pepper and espresso accents. Sweet, bright and nicely focused if politely styled; surprisingly juicy for the vintage, with sound acidity framing the black fruit flavors. Dense and fine-grained, with the chocolate note carrying through on the palate. Finishes with a hint of drying tannins. This boasts good texture and ripe fruit for the year, but I think of it as an excellent merlot, rather than an excellent Masseto. (Folio Wine Company, Napa, CA)

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio

The 2002 Masseto is a strong effort, made all the more notable given the poor overall quality of the vintage. It presents an herbal profile on the nose along with notes of tobacco, black pepper and white truffle that emerge with some time in the glass. On the palate it is a decidedly slender Masseto, with less concentration than is typical of this wine, but the fruit is vibrant and fresh, the oak well integrated, and it offers much persistence as well as length in a more linear expression of this wine. While the 2002 will never compete with the best Massetos, on an absolute level it is a lovely wine that clearly has the potential to offer some surprises down the road.

The 100% Merlot Masseto, on the other hand, has proven to be a wine of greater singularity. Its unique, unmistakable personality always comes through, especially in a set of widely diverse vintages, as this vertical attests. The Masseto vineyard measures roughly 7 hectares. Set on a gently sloping hill, the vineyard is divided into three sections which contain different clay-based soil types. The structure of Masseto comes from the central portion of the vineyard (Masseto Centrale), where the terrain is most compact. Towards the upper part of the hillside (Masseto Alto) the soils contain a higher percentage of rocks and thus yield wines that are more aromatic. The lower stretch of the vineyard, known as "Masseto Junior," is also the most recent to be planted. According to Raspini the fruit from these vines bridges the qualities of the wines from the central and upper portions of the vineyard and thus serves to give Masseto its finesse and balance. There is also a small amount of fruit that comes from the "Vigna Vecchia" plot which is the source of the Merlot that is used for Ornellaia.

Each parcel is harvested and vinified separately. Fermentation and maceration typically last around 25 days, give or take, depending on the quality of the fruit, after which the wines are moved into 100% new French oak barrels for the malolactic fermentations. The wines spend 12 months in oak prior to being assembled, after which the final blend spends an additional 12 months in oak prior to being bottled.

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio

Aromas of berries and fresh herbs such as basil. Turns to flowers. Medium- to full-bodied, with very silky tannins and a long caressing finish. Beautiful 2002. Better than I remember from barrel. Merlot. 2,750 cases made.

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio

nose of grass, peppercorn and plum. A little young, but soft and rich and smooth. This is one o the finest expression of merlot I have had