The 2020 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Masseto is a Merlot-based red wine from the Bolgheri sub-region of Tuscany, Italy. This vintage incorporates 15% Cabernet Franc, adding new dimensions to this highly esteemed wine. With an alcohol content of 15.0% and a robust cork closure, this wine is designed for longevity and complexity.
The professional reviews for the 2020 Masseto are overwhelmingly positive, with several reviewers awarding near-perfect scores. Decanter scores it a perfect 100, noting its "intense and full" nose with “ripe black fruit, floral aspects and soft spicing.” The palate is described as “rich and muscular yet tight and neatly coiled,” complemented by high acidity that provides "freshness and brightness alongside really quite mouthwatering strawberry and raspberry fruit."
Jeb Dunnuck also praises the wine, giving it a 99 and describing it as "highly compelling" with "seductive and seamless aromas" and a "fantastic concentration and purity." He highlights the wine's "plush tannins and fresh acidity" as key components of its structure, leading to an "incredibly long and even finish."
James Suckling echoes this sentiment, also awarding a 99, and noting the "intense aromas of ripe herbs, plums, green coffee beans, and hazelnuts." He describes the wine as "big but agile and gorgeous," with "superb concentration and fine, velvety tannins."
Wine Enthusiast’s Danielle Callegari adds to the accolades with another 99 score, describing the wine as a "hedge maze of aromas" that includes "blackberries and black cherries to crushed stones and crumpled petals." She finds the tannins "tightly stitched together across the palate like a tapestry."
Vinous' Antonio Galloni gives it a 98, commending its "bright and vibrant" character and noting that the 2020 vintage is "more finesse than power." Jane Anson, also awarding a 98, highlights the wine’s "smooth and tender tannins" and "deliciously drawn out flavors of supple raspberry, pomegranate, damson puree."
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate gives it 96+, noting that this vintage has "enormous richness and density" and suggesting that it "needs many more years to soften and flesh out."
Overall, the 2020 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Masseto is a meticulously crafted wine that has impressed critics across the board. It is recommended to allow this wine to age further to fully appreciate its depth and complexity.