The 2016 Masseto is one of the greatest-ever vintages of one of the planet’s great wines. Rated at a perfect 100 points by no fewer than three noted critics, this product of a superb year for the region is a monumental young wine. It is always hard to find it in any sort of quantity, so we are delighted to have a lovely parcel of pristine cases to offer.

A small production Merlot that rivals the likes of Petrus and Le Pin in terms of both quality and exclusivity, Masseto is an iconic wine and ultra-collectable as a result. The finest vintages are the highest in demand; this is up there with the best of the best.

For Monica Larner, it is a “thunderstorm of emotions, but it manages to keep them under perfect control”, while James Suckling compares it to the “legendary 2001” (a wine that is not all but impossible to find). Jeb Dunnuck called it, “sensational and unquestionably one of the greatest expressions of Merlot in the world”. All three give perfect 100-point scores.

Details are below. Do take a look and let us know if you would like to secure a case or two:

Masseto has pulled off back-to-back home runs. This is the first time that an Italian wine has earned 100 points in successive vintages. The 2016 Masseto is a thunderstorm of emotions, but it manages to keep them under perfect control. Like the 2015 Masseto before it, this vintage is a seamless wine of the highest pedigree. It represents an encore performance, continuing the string of successes that is bringing Italy to the forefront of the wine world. The first thing you’ll notice is the thickness and concentration of the fruit that makes an immediate impact on all the senses, in terms of appearance, aroma and mouthfeel. There is no overstating the sheer power and richness of this iconic vintage of Italy’s groundbreaking Merlot. Despite that considerable mass, this Masseto remains delicate and graceful. You gain better perspective as the wine opens in the glass and reveals deeper layers that were not immediately apparent on first nose: dark fruit, spice, sweet tobacco and black cherry. There is great tightness and laser focus to the fruit. I tasted the 2016 and 2015 vintages together for comparison when I scored this wine, and then I tasted this 2016 edition alone about a month later to confirm my impressions. These vintages are identical twins, two perfect wines. (2019) www.robertparker.com Drink 2022-2050

This is so solid and powerful with incredible vertical dense that goes down and down on the palate. Compacted and thick with caressing and polished tannins that are powerful yet refined. Super concentration yet agile and energetic. This is a wine that needs time to come together and resolve all of its amazing components. Reminds me of the legendary 2001. Try after 2023. (2019) www.jamessuckling.com

Not yet released, the 2016 Masseto is sensational and unquestionably one of the greatest expressions of Merlot in the world. As always, it’s 100% Merlot from a single vineyard that has a complex, diverse set of soils and expositions, causing harvest at times to be spread over as much as three weeks. Aged two years in oak, its deep purple color is followed by a powerful bouquet of black cherries, cassis, spicy oak, damp earth, green tobacco, and spring flowers. It’s full-bodied, concentrated and masculine on the palate, with serious minerality, yet it stays flawlessly balanced with magical purity of fruit. With no shortage of concentration and structure, this primordial powerhouse of a Merlot needs 4-6 years of bottle age yet should evolve for decades. Merlot, or wine for that matter, doesn’t get any better! (2019) www.jebdunnuck.com