Antinori Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Antinori's single-vineyard Gran Selezione: 100% Sangiovese grown around the abbey of Passignano, aged in French and Hungarian oak. Firm, fine tannins and bright acidity frame ripe cherry, violet and leather. Built to cellar, made for red meat.
Masseto is Bolgheri's benchmark 100% Merlot, grown on the blue-clay hill that gives the wine its name. Plot-by-plot fermentation and two years in French oak build a dense, velvety Toscana IGT of blackberry, cocoa and graphite. A collector's wine: cel
Corney & BarrowBest price2006 · Double magnum 300cl · checked 19 Oct · Free delivery
Out of stock
£4,590.00£1,530.00/L
Out of stock
Stock status is read from each retailer’s page once a day and may lag. Case and magnum listings show a per-bottle or per-litre equivalent and sit outside the best-price figure.
Tasting Notes
Tasting Masseto: blue-clay Merlot from Bolgheri
Blackberry, cocoa and graphite over ripe, grainy tannins drawn from the Masseto hill's blue clay. Decanter's vintage notes land on the same thread.
Tasted by
ItalianWines editorial
Source
Drinker consensus · confidence Medium
Typical of Cabernet Franc
BodyLight / Full
TanninsSmooth / Grippy
SweetnessDry / Sweet
AciditySoft / Crisp
Nose
Oak, chocolate and vanilla lead, then blackberry and plum, with leather and truffle underneath. The 2019 adds graphite, wild fennel and sweet tobacco, the savoury signature of the Masseto hill's blue clay.
Coffee
Violet
Black cherry
Blackberry
Plum
Tobacco
Leather
Oak
Cocoa
Palate
Bold and smooth, with firm but ripe, grainy tannins the producer ties to the vineyard's Pliocene blue clay. Plot-by-plot fermentation in steel and wood under oenologist Axel Heinz builds blackberry and dark-cherry concentration. Cocoa and espresso from 24 months in French oak frame that concentration, and enticing acidity carries it.
Finish
Long and savoury, closing on graphite, sweet tobacco and fine-grained oak rather than overt sweetness.
Overall
Masseto sits at the very top of its single-vineyard range. It is a cult 100% Merlot from Bolgheri that drinkers rank among Tuscany's finest, year after year. It is best from the strongest vintages with a decade or more of age. The 2016 and 2019 are the ones to chase.
Best by 2042
Live UK pricing
Buying Masseto: vintages and UK stock
Masseto trades on the UK fine-wine market from around 700 pounds a bottle. The 2016 and 2019 are the standout cellar vintages, the 2022 the latest release.
Best price · 75 cl£676.00at Vino.com
Price spread · 75cl
£676.00 - £1,850.00 Across 8 UK retailers with 75cl in stock
Vintage matters at this level: 2016 and 2019 are exceptional Bolgheri years, while 2022 was a warmer, riper season that Decanter still scored 98.
2022Current release
Best price
£676.00
Retailers
7 in stock
Window
Ready from 2027
to 2044
A warm, dry 2022 produced a powerful, ripe Masseto scored 98 by Decanter and 98+ by Jeb Dunnuck. Generous dark fruit and firm structure built for the cellar.
2021Previous release
Best price
£1,053.20
Retailers
2 in stock
Window
Drink now
through 2045
2021 marks Masseto's return to 100% Merlot, aged 24 months in 100% new French oak. Ripe Morello cherry, blueberry and espresso run through a fine graphite thread.
2020Previous release
Best price
£960.00
Retailers
2 in stock
2019Previous release
Best price
£743.00
Retailers
2 in stock
ABV
14.5%
Window
Drink now
through 2042
Decanter scored the 2019 99 points: wild fennel, bramble fruit and graphite over grainy, ripe tannins from the blue clay, with enticing acidity and a sweet-tobacco close.
2019Previous release
Best price
£743.00
Retailers
2 in stock
ABV
14.5%
Window
Drink now
through 2042
Decanter scored the 2019 99 points: wild fennel, bramble fruit and graphite over grainy, ripe tannins from the blue clay, with enticing acidity and a sweet-tobacco close.
2020Previous release
Best price
£960.00
Retailers
2 in stock
2021Previous release
Best price
£1,053.20
Retailers
2 in stock
Window
Drink now
through 2045
2021 marks Masseto's return to 100% Merlot, aged 24 months in 100% new French oak. Ripe Morello cherry, blueberry and espresso run through a fine graphite thread.
2022Current release
Best price
£676.00
Retailers
7 in stock
Window
Ready from 2027
to 2044
A warm, dry 2022 produced a powerful, ripe Masseto scored 98 by Decanter and 98+ by Jeb Dunnuck. Generous dark fruit and firm structure built for the cellar.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
The disciplinare, the place, the label
What sits behind a 700 pound Bolgheri Merlot
Seven hectares of Pliocene blue clay, plot-by-plot fermentation under oenologist Axel Heinz, and 24 months in French oak explain Masseto's price and scarcity.
01
DOC, DOCG, IGT: what the badges mean
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Toscana is in the IGT tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
02
The denomination rules, in detail
Allowed grapes. Varieties not yet recorded
Tasting panel. No mandatory pre-release tasting
03
Region and area context
Toscana falls within
Tuscany, covering Arezzo · Firenze · Grosseto · Livorno · Lucca · Massa Carrara · Pisa · Pistoia · Prato · Siena.
Seven-hectare blue-clay vineyard on the Masseto hill
01
Seven-hectare blue-clay vineyard on the Masseto hill
Cost up
Masseto comes from only seven hectares of Pliocene blue clay in Bolgheri. Tiny output against global cult demand is the main reason a bottle runs above 700 pounds.
02
100% Merlot aged two years in French oak
Cost up
The 2021 spends 24 months in 100% new French oak. Barrel cost and two years of cellar tie-up add materially to the bottle price.
03
Plot-by-plot fermentation under Axel Heinz
Cost up
Each parcel ferments separately in steel and wood with 15 to 28 day macerations before blending, a labour-intensive regime that raises cellar cost.
04
Cult status and 98-plus critic scores
Cost up
Scores of 98 to 99 from Decanter and Jeb Dunnuck across recent vintages sustain secondary-market demand and keep release prices high.
05
UK duty and VAT
Cost up
UK still-wine duty of 2.67 pounds plus 20% VAT adds roughly 140 pounds of tax to a 716 pound bottle at current 2026 HMRC rates.
01
Seven-hectare blue-clay vineyard on the Masseto hill
Cost up
Masseto comes from only seven hectares of Pliocene blue clay in Bolgheri. Tiny output against global cult demand is the main reason a bottle runs above 700 pounds.
02
100% Merlot aged two years in French oak
Cost up
The 2021 spends 24 months in 100% new French oak. Barrel cost and two years of cellar tie-up add materially to the bottle price.
03
Plot-by-plot fermentation under Axel Heinz
Cost up
Each parcel ferments separately in steel and wood with 15 to 28 day macerations before blending, a labour-intensive regime that raises cellar cost.
04
Cult status and 98-plus critic scores
Cost up
Scores of 98 to 99 from Decanter and Jeb Dunnuck across recent vintages sustain secondary-market demand and keep release prices high.
05
UK duty and VAT
Cost up
UK still-wine duty of 2.67 pounds plus 20% VAT adds roughly 140 pounds of tax to a 716 pound bottle at current 2026 HMRC rates.
Food Pairing
Merlot power, Tuscan structure: dishes for Masseto
Masseto's ripe tannins and savoury depth call for slow-cooked red meat. Tuscan bistecca, brasato and aged Pecorino bridge the wine's cocoa and graphite.
Tannin softeningStrong match
Beef and steak that stand up to Masseto
Masseto carries firm, grainy tannin and high alcohol. The protein and fat of a chargrilled Tuscan T-bone or a long brasato bind that tannin and let the wine's cocoa and graphite core come forward.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · Brasato al Barolo · Ossobuco alla Milanese · Beef stew · More pairings →
Body matchingStrong match
Game and slow-cooked lamb
The wine's full body and dark-fruit depth match the richness of game and braised lamb without being overwhelmed, while its acidity keeps the savoury, gamey flavours fresh.
Try with: Coniglio alla ligure · Agnello Ragu Lucano · Agnello Cacio e Ova · Brasato al Barolo · More pairings →
Aromatic bridgeGood match
Truffle and porcini
Masseto's tertiary leather and truffle notes bridge directly to earthy truffle and porcini, an aroma echo that makes both wine and dish taste deeper.
Try with: Tagliatelle al tartufo di Acqualagna · Tajarin al Tartufo · Truffle risotto · Porcini mushroom risotto · More pairings →
Fat cuttingGood match
Aged hard cheese
Salty, crystalline aged sheep's cheese meets the wine's tannin and acidity, which cut the fat and refresh the palate between bites.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · Aged Pecorino Toscano · Parmigiano Reggiano · More pairings →
AvoidClash
Fierce chilli heat and oily fish
High alcohol amplifies chilli heat and the firm tannin clashes with oily fish, turning metallic. Masseto also overwhelms delicate, lightly seasoned dishes.
Built for the long haul, Masseto's structure carries the strongest vintages 15 to 25 years; the 2016 and 2019 reward patience most.
Drinking window
2027 → 2044
Peak around 2034.
Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
Decanting
30 minutes
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
Serving temperature
16-18°C
Aim for the cooler end on a warm day; warmer end opens up more aromatics.
Cellar potential
High
Firm tannin, 24 months in French oak and exceptional vintages give 15 to 25 years of cellar life.
Buy now or wait?
Buy now
£676.00 for a 75cl bottle of the 2022, at Vino.com, is the best price we track, and we have no signal of further discounting.
Sources & trust
Sources behind this Masseto page
Prices & stock
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day.
Last refresh: 22 Oct 2026, 02:58 BST.
We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · High
Tasting notes
Drawn from published drinker ratings, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · Medium
Appellation rules & ageing
From the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · High
Why it costs what it costs
Our reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · Medium
Drink window & cellar potential
Style guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Yes. Masseto is a single-varietal Merlot from Bolgheri. The 2021 vintage returned to 100% Merlot after two releases that included around 15% Cabernet Franc.
Masseto comes from just seven hectares of blue clay, with plot-by-plot fermentation and 24 months in French oak. Tiny production and cult demand push UK prices above 700 pounds a bottle.
Expect blackberry and plum, cocoa and vanilla oak, leather and truffle, with violet and a graphite edge. It is bold, smooth and firmly tannic, and drinkers like it, year after year.
Masseto is built to cellar. The strongest vintages drink well for 15 to 25 years; 2016 and 2019 are exceptional and reward the longest keeping.
Slow-cooked beef, game and aged hard cheese. Tuscan Fiorentina steak, brasato and truffle pasta suit it best. Avoid fierce chilli heat and oily fish.
Masseto grows on a blue-clay hill in Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast. It is labelled Toscana IGT rather than Bolgheri DOC.
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How retailer prices are sourced.
Prices and stock are read from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Outbound buy links carry rel="nofollow sponsored noopener". The list is sorted by price; we do not accept payment for placement.
What we will never do.
Imply we tasted a bottle when we didn’t. Imply stock when a retailer is out. Imply independence on links that are paid affiliate links.
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