Ornellaia Masseto 1988

Parker: The estate’s 1988 Massseto takes things to another level. It is the first of the early wines that is stratospheric. In some ways, I wish we had decanted this a little longer. The 1988 is a firm, structured Masseto endowed with considerable power, length and the stuffing to drink well for at least another handful of years.

Galloni: The 1988 Masseto is pure and total finesse. What a wine to end the evening with. Sweet tobacco, cedar, dried flowers and mint meld together in a pretty, translucent Masseto that has aged impeccably. One of the more delicate wines in this vertical, the 1988 is now also fully mature. I wouldn’t cellar bottles too much further. It’s hard not to fall for the 1988 in this tasting, as it is such a special wine, and every bit as memorable as it was the first time I tasted it. Moderating temperatures at the end of the season helped balance the much warmer conditions of the first part of the summer and gave a wine that has certainly stood the test of time.