Masseto 2006 is a collectible fine wine from Tuscany, Italy. It is bottled in 750 ml and ideal for serious collectors and top-level cellars.

The wine that most delighted me at this historic tasting of Tuscany’s most iconic wines was the 2006 Masseto. This is a wine of sheer power, bliss, opulence, infinity and sublime seduction. This Merlot-based masterpiece hits all your senses with the grace of a ballerina and the power of a heavyweight. It is steady on its proverbial feet, but it also glides over the palate with a profound sense of elegance, harmony and rhythm. Among the prized vintages of Masseto, including 2001, 2004 and 2007, this edition is my favorite. The wine delivers an extra sense of tightness or firmness at the back that serves to stitch together its fleshy richness and general sumptuousness. The personality is sunny, expansive, articulate and sophisticated. You’ll remember that the 2006 vintage is celebrated for the elegance of its wines. In the coastal Bolgheri appellation, it is also remembered for the power of its wines. You get the best of both worlds with this stunning creation: elegance and power. These traits are particularly well suited to the versatile grape variety at the heart of this Tuscan all-rounder. This is a true Renaissance wine.

by Monica Larner for WA, January 2016

I can still remember nearly falling out of my chair the first time I tasted the 2006 Masseto (100% Merlot) from barrel. The wine is now in bottle, and it is every bit as monumental as I had hoped. The wine possesses staggering richness in a style that perfectly captures the essence of this great Tuscan vintage. Black cherries, flowers, licorice and sweet toasted oak are just some of the nuances that emerge from the 2006 Masseto. A wine of breathtaking depth, it also reveals superb clarity, freshness and vibrancy in a sumptuous, beautifully-balanced style. Simply put, the 2006 Masseto is a masterpiece from Tenuta dell’ Ornellaia. According to Agronomist/General Manager Leonardo Raspini the dryness of the vintage slowed down the maturation of the sugars, leaving the wine with an unusually high level of acidity, and therefore freshness, considering its overall ripeness. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2031.

This set of new 2006s from Tenuta dell’Ornellaia leaves me looking for words that can adequately capture the pure magic and sheer profoundness the property has achieved in this important, hallmark vintage. I will try with one word: Monumental. The Ornellaia team led by Oenologist Axel Heinz and Agronomist/General Manager Leonardo Raspini has done a fabulous job with these wines, which have never failed to literally send shivers down my spine on the multiple occasions I have tasted them. At this stage the 2007 Serre Nuove, Ornellaia and Masseto are shaping up to be ripe, relatively early-drinking wines without the stuffing or sheer vibrancy of the 2006s.

by Antonio Galloni for WA, August 2009