The market for “second vin” grows, and Massetino 2017, the second label of the Masseto myth, debuts

The idea of “second vin”, the second labels, was born in Bordeaux, towards the end of the nineteenth century, in the great Chateaux, to give life to quality wines not considered such, however, to be used for the first wines, it is an increasing market segment in recent years. This is a good news for both fans who want to uncork and drink great bottles that have prices that are on average 35-45% of those of the first wines, at least at the time of placing on the market, and collectors, since in many cases the rates of revaluation of these wines is not much lower than that of the first labels. On the scene, there is now Masseto, perhaps the most expensive Italian wine and absolute protagonist in the great international auctions, which, in October 2019, will launch its “second vin”, the Massetino, vintage 2017. A debut in 5,000 bottles, at a price around 40% of that of Masseto, explains the director of the Masseto estate, Axel Heinz, to WineNews and that, because of its very limited production, for its debut, will be available exclusively from selected retailers in Italy and the United States.
“The production of a “second vin” by the Masseto estate is part of the natural development of the events - comments Giovanni Geddes, CEO of Masseto - and the 2017 vintage seemed to be the most favorable. The Masseto estate is facing a period of real ferment and the new winery allows us to have the right environment to carry out this new project”.
“It is a wine that comes from a process that existed for some time, because in reality we have always made a great selection of wines produced from the vineyards of Masseto, and now that Masseto has its own cellar, takes its path, we thought that the selection of wines that do not come to become Masseto could live their own path,” Axel Heinz explains to WineNews.
“A new wine is always a new challenge, and we are eager to see how things will turn out. Massetino is a second quite classic wine, the result of a particular vintage, 2017, which, despite the low level of production in quantity, has required great selection. The first vintage, therefore, will be of 5,000 bottles, but due to the particularity of the vintage, it is not a number to be taken as a reference value. In the future, we will see, but considering the average production of 30-32,000 bottles of Masseto, the Massetino can reach 10-15,000 bottles per year. And also in terms of price, we still have to define the details, but it will be on average 40% of the price of the Masseto”.
The year 2017 will be remembered as one of the hottest and driest vintages of the last years, due to an unusually mild winter with temperatures of 3 degrees Celsius above seasonal averages, the vine’s vegetative season began at least two weeks in advance. With the exception of a short period characterized by cool temperatures towards the end of April, the entire vegetative season was dominated by warm temperatures and a dry climate, causing a reduced growth of the foliage. Consequently, Massetino 2017 reflects the characteristics of this vintage: dark color and rich and complex aromas, dominated by notes of ripe plums and blackberries. The taste is rich and broad, the structure is characterized by an extraordinary freshness and firmness.
Another novelty for the famous estate in Bolgheri that is part of the group controlled by the Frescobaldi family, which, in recent weeks, has officially opened the doors of its new winery, designed by the architects of the prestigious studio ZitoMori, dug deep into the blue clay on which stands the vineyard, a physical and symbolic tribute to the history of the estate and its rapid evolution: from the intuition of the hidden potential of a particular vineyard to the affirmation of a wine of international renown.