Nashville Wine Auction Presents Historic Masseto Tasting
Nashville Wine Auction was fortunate enough to offer a 28-year vertical of Masseto from the cellar of Pam and Steve Taylor on January 27, 2018. Yes, that’s every vintage of Masseto ever made! It’s unheard of, but that’s just how things are done at Nashville Wine Auction. An amazing evening with special guests Axel Heinz, Head Winemaker, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, Alessandro Lunardi, Director North America at Ornellaia E Masseto Societa Agricola S.R.L., Antonio Galloni, Founder and CEO, Vinous and Country Superstar Martina McBride.
For those who need a quick refresher, Masseto is a rare, single vineyard wine made entirely from Merlot grapes grown on the vineyard bearing the same name. Located in the acclaimed Bolgheri region of Tuscany, Masseto was first released in 1986, simply called “Merlot” at that time. The name of Masseto then appeared on the label with the 1987 vintage. Masseto is a wine of great and complex personality where its remarkable structure always combines with beautiful elegance. It quickly gained a reputation as one of the world’s most sought after and extremely allocated wines. So finding such an impressive vertical is almost unheard of. Thank you, Pam and Steve!
In addition to enjoying this extraordinary wine, Axel Heinz (French mother, German father), head winemaker since 2005, has brought new life and vinification to the entire Ornellaia team. He studied in Bordeaux and cut his teeth in Pomerol, before he was offered the job of senior winemaker at Ornellaia in 2005 when he noted the similarities between the Bordeaux Merlot and that of Masseto. Alessandro Lunardi has been with the Frescobaldi Group since 1997 and has managed their high-end portfolio for many years.
Donated by Pam & Steve Taylor, Country Music Hall of Fame, Axel Heinz