2/3 bottles

Standing on the hill, one looks out over the Tyrrhenian Sea, and if one digs into the ground, one finds it again: blue clay from the seabed of the Pliocene era, rich in minerals and fossils, hard as rock and yet strangely fragile. The estate takes its name from this rock. Geological movements pushed the clay upwards; nature was the first creator, and humans came later. A few men of different backgrounds looked beyond the local customs, against all odds and against all advice, and in the 1980s the famous Oenologist André Tchelistcheff recognised the clay of this hill as the ideal soil for Merlot. Since 1986, Masseto has been produced here, from a single vineyard, barren and dry, with no room for compromise. The cellar lies within the hill, almost invisible from the outside; the architects called it the "quarry"; the clay insulates it, gravity takes care of the transport, and it is only a matter of minutes' walk to the vines. Bottles from every vintage since 1986 rest there, each in its own cradle of woven stainless steel.

In the early 1980s, André Tchelistcheff, the legendary Russian-American Oenologist, stood on a hill near Bolgheri and saw what others overlooked: blue clay. Argille blu – pressed to the surface millions of years ago by tectonic faults, so compact that the Tuscans call it masso, rock. Tchelistcheff recognised the potential for something unheard of in this soil: a Merlot that could rival Pétrus. In the middle of Italy, in the land of Sangiovese. People thought he was crazy. History proved him right. Today, Masseto has long been more than just a wine – it is a monument. Twelve perfect 100-point ratings since its debut in 1986, a name that is mentioned in the same breath as the greatest wines in the world. And a vineyard that is reluctant to reveal its secrets: seven hectares, divided into three parcels with completely different characters. Masseto Alto delivers structure and ripe fruit, Masseto Centrale – with the highest clay content, the "Grand Cru" of the vineyard – gives opulence and monumental tannins, while Masseto Junior with its younger vines contributes freshness and vibrancy. The mosaic only comes together to form the whole.