2001 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia "Masseto" Toscana

SKU #1010694 100 points James Suckling

This has an intense nose of brown sugar, porcini mushrooms, dark fruits, tobacco, olives, cigar box... I am running out of words to describe the nose. The palate is full bodied and ultra rich. This is a monumental wine that arouses all your senses. Truly exotic and sensual. Enjoy this for the rest of your life. (3/ 2011)

100 points Wine Spectator

*Ranked #6 in Top 100 of 2004* Wonderful aromas of blackberries, raspberries and fresh tobacco, with a hint of exotic fruit. Fullbodied, with loads of velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Very silky indeed. A gorgeous, seductive and classy red. A monument to Tuscany. Layers and layers of fruit and tannins. This will live forever. As great as the legendary 1985 Sassicaia, and perhaps the greatest Tuscan red ever. I have tasted this 10 or 15 times in the last two years and it has always been magnificent. Best after 2012. (10/ 2004)

97 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2001 Masseto lives up to its reputation as a modern-day legend. The wine has everything; beautifully delineated aromatics, generous fruit and plenty of structure to support all of the elements. It is a big, massive Masseto endowed with huge fruit and an exotic, powerful personality. An eternal finish rounds things out in style. The 2001 is dazzling from start to finish. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2023. (11/ 2011)

93 points Wine Enthusiast

There are few places in the world where Merlot grows into a wine with powerful structure, without turning black and super-ripe. Masseto is one of those places, growing a wine in '01 as hard as an iron cage, the fruit within plentifully rich and bright. The tannins have a black plum-skin character and a raspy earth finish; they set off the fruit in raspberry and blueberry relief, and keep it savory. Meant for the cellar, this should age well. (4/ 2005)