Rare and Fine Wine from Italy and Spain
Live Virtual Auction, 14 May 2023
Rare and Fine Wine from Italy and Spain
About the SessionAn exquisite selection of highly sought-after collectables of Fine and Rare Italian and Spanish wines.
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About this Item
Masseto is a unique and magical place, surrounded by forests and caressed by sea breezes. It lies on Italy’s Tuscan coast, overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea near the small village of Bolgheri, on an unlikely slope, planted entirely to Merlot. Blessed with the presence of blue clay, Masseto wines are known for their unmistakable character. According to Masseto, their wines were never meant to exist, as planting vines on that unused hillside was against all advice and local tradition. Fortuitously, the potential of the site was seen in the 1980s and the first vines were planted. The winemaking is kept very simple. Their goal is simply to capture the essence of nature and take it to the highest level. The entire project is all about their amazing, very challenging vineyard and making wine with great simplicity. It is one of the most famous Super Tuscan wines and is made by Tenuta dell'Ornellaia. The wine is known for its aromatic complexity, opulent fruit and tannic structure, and is consistently regarded as one of the top wines in the world with auction prices to match. It is classified as IGT Toscana.
Producer Tasting Notes: Masseto 2008 is the expression of a warm vintage, most of it having been harvested in the first half of September. With great concentration, its colour is particularly deep and young. The nose is characterized by rich and fully ripe fruit yet without any traces of over ripeness, focused and intense with spicy and mineral notes. On the palate the wine is remarkably dense, concentrated and opulent, with a very pure expression of fruit. The tannins are present and firm giving the wine focus and precision to balance the wine’s opulent richness. It is undoubtedly one of the great expressions of Masseto with a long ageing potential.
Provenance
The Coats Family Cellar is arguably the most prestigious fine wine collection ever offered in South Africa. It contains a deep collection of the worlds finest, most sought-after wines, spanning over 150 years. Collected over many decades, the cellar was imported from Ireland to South Africa via reefer. Each bottle within the Coats Family Cellar was authenticated by Michael Egan in August 2022 and given an ID number for tracking.
Michael Egan is a world-expert in fine and rare wines with more than thirty five years of experience. He was the principal expert for the plaintiff in the two major wine counterfeiting trials in Koch v. Eric Greenberg and United States v. Rudy Kurniawan, both of which occurred in 2013.
Along with Michael Egan, the Strauss & Co Fine Wine team have tasted extensively through the cellar and are confident of the wine storage and hence quality. The entire collection is currently stored at Wine Cellar.
Critics Ratings
‘Presents an immediately seductive nose of cherry compote, truffle, fruitcake, graphite and spice. A beam of sweet, ripe fruit, along with a core of mineral, is very intense and fresh, supported by a firm structure. Though not quite integrated, everything is in the right proportion. The terrific aftertaste combines power and grace. A stunning Masseto. Merlot.—Non-blind Masseto vertical (October 2017). Best from 2023 through 2045.’ - Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator, 99/100 (2018)
‘The 2008 Masseto is another huge wine. It boasts tons of energy in a tense, inward style I can only describe as implosive, as if the wine is holding back all of its energy. A deep core of black fruit, grilled herbs, licorice and new leather emerges from time to time, but the tannins are still imposing. There is no shortage of pedigree. I fully expect the 2008 to develop into one of the great Massetos. Needless to say, it will be interesting to taste the 2008 in vertical tastings in the future. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2033.’ - Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate, 97+/100 (Jun 2012)
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