Tenuta dell'Ornellaia - Masseto 1987, Tuscany, Italy

Introduction: The birth of a super Tuscan legend

Masseto 1987 is more than just a wine; it is a piece of Italian wine history. This was the firstever official bottlingof Masseto and marked the moment when the world began to realise the exceptional quality of this pure Merlot from Tuscany. Produced at the then still young Ornellaia winery (founded in 1981), this wine represents the visionary realisation that a wine of international, even world-class stature could be created on the blue clay soils ("Massi")of the Bolgheri-Marella appellations. The 1987 is therefore an icon of the early "Super Tuscan" era and a rarity of the highest collector's value.

Sensory description (with perfect storage)

After more than 35 years, a perfectly aged 1987 Masseto has transformed its youthful opulence into a mature, complex and extraordinarily elegant phase. It is a Merlot that combines its new-world vigour with old-world roots.

Colour

• A deep, opaque garnet to ruby redcolour with incipient, narrow brick-red to orange edges. The colour is surprisingly intense and youthful for its age, a sign of its enormous concentration and extract strength.

Nose

The bouquet is intense, deep and characterised by a complex blend of ripe Merlot fruit, tertiary aromas and fine wood notes.

• Mature, dark fruit: Plum jam, preserved black cherries, dried mulberries, a hint of blackcurrant jam.

• Noble wood & spice notes: Fully integrated flavours of cedar wood, cigar box, damp tobacco, leather, vanilla and slate.

• Tertiary complexity: Pronounced notes of truffle, undergrowth, damp leaves and a subtle animal spice.

• Mineral depth: A cool, graphitic or clayey minerality attributed to the famous blue clay soils ("Massi").

Palate

On the palate, the wine has a majestic balance between silky texture and lively structure.

• Texture: Full-bodied, fat and absolutely silky. The tannins are fully integrated and leave a velvety, powdery texture of great beauty.

• Acidity: Amazingly fresh, lively and well-integrated, it gives this heavy, extract-rich wine the necessary tension, length and prevents any heaviness or fatigue.

• Flavour development: A large, layered development: first the ripe, sweet fruit, then the spicy wood and tobacco notes, followed by the mineral, earthy depth.

• Finish: Legendary length, complexity and persistence. The aftertaste of plum, cedar wood, truffle and a salty minerality can last for minutes.

Historical & terroir classification

Vintage 1987 in Tuscany

• A good, solid and classic vintage that is often overshadowed by the spectacular 1985s and 1988s. 1987 was a year with a long, balanced ripening period that produced wines of good concentration, elegant structure and remarkable freshness - ideal conditions for a long-lived, structured Merlot.

The terroir of Masseto

• A unique, small parcel on the hills of Bolgheri.

• Soil: The famous "Massi" - blue, compact clays with a high proportion of gravel and limestone. This soil provides excellent drainage, deep rooting and gives the Merlot an unrivalled mineral structure, density and youthful freshness that sets it apart from other opulent Merlots.

The early years of Masseto

• Led by the visionary agronomist André Tchelistcheff and winemaker Tibor Gál. The early vintages were pioneering and established Masseto's reputation as one of the world's great Merlots.

Maturity & ageing potential

Current drinking maturity

The wine has reachedits long-awaited optimum drinking window, combining the full ripeness of tertiary flavours with a still intact, lively structure. It is now at the peak of its beauty.

Development potential

• Peak: Now. No further improvement is to be expected.

• Shelf life: With perfect ageing, it can retain its form for another 10-15 years, but will slowly lose its fruity richness and move even more into the mineral-spicy, tertiary phase.

Rating & recommendations

Rating (for a perfect bottle): 97-99/100 points

A wine of absolute world class and historical significance. It embodies the perfect fusion of a unique terroir, a visionary idea and the artisanal mastery of the early years. An icon.

Recommendations for the ritual of enjoyment

1. Decanting: Recommended (60-90 minutes before drinking) to open up the complex flavours. Decant carefully to separate any sediment.

2. Serving temperature: 16-17°C.

3. Glass: A large, balloon-shaped Bordeaux or Burgundy glass.

4. Food pairing: This wine is the food. Only exquisite, subtly flavoured dishes go well with it:

   • Game: saddle of venison, pheasant.

   • Fine beef: fillet steak, Rossini.

   • Truffle dishes.

   • Mature, strong cheese (Pecorino stagionato, old Parmigiano).

Conclusion

Masseto 1987 is a living piece of wine history and one of the greatest wines ever produced in Italy. It proves that Tuscany does not have to rely solely on Sangiovese to achieve world fame. This wine is the essence of its specific terroir - powerful, but never clumsy; complex, but with crystalline clarity; mature, but eternally young in structure. Opening a bottle is not an everyday act, but a celebratory event, a tasting of the legend itself. For the collector the ultimate treasure, for the connoisseur an unforgettable, moving taste experience. A truly monumental wine.