Masseto - Toscana IGT 2010

Masseto - Toscana IGT 2010

Climate and harvest The 2010 growing season will be remembered for being one of the latest in recent years. From budbreak on, in fact, the growth stages were some 10 days behind normal, and that slow pace continued through the harvest. A rainy spring was followed by a hot, dry summer, which favored optimal development of the clusters. A few rain showers interrupted the harvest in September, but adequate dry, sunny periods allowed the fruit to fully ripen. Painstaking vineyard management, and careful leaf-pulling in particular, ensured that the grapes were sound and healthy. Cool nights encouraged fine development of aromatic compounds, with the grapes displaying remarkably crisp fruit and floral qualities. Winemaking and aging Harvest started on 14 September, with the youngest vines of 'Masseto Junior' and 'Masseto Isola' and was concluded on 4 October with the left section of 'Masseto Centrale'; Masseto, yielding a total of five different winemaking batches. The clusters were hand-picked into 15-kg boxes and then graduated by two-part sorting, before and after destemming, and finally carefully crushed. Each single vineyard block was vinified separately. Fermentation took place in both steel and oak, followed by a 15-20 day maceration at 25-28 ° C. The wine then began malolactic fermentation, in new oak barrels. Each individual lot was matured for the first 12 months. The wine was then assembled and returned to the barrels for an additional year, for a total of 24 months. After bottling, the wine aged more 12 months prior to release