Toscane, Italie
Via Case Sparse (Panzano), 9
50022 Panzano in Chianti FI
Italie
+39 055 852722
Set in the heart of the Chianti Classico DOCG, in the commune of Panzano in Chianti, in an idyllic landscape of valleys and hills, Tenuta La Massa is a 27-hectare estate purchased in 1992 by Giampaolo Motta. A former chemist from a long-established family of tanners, Motta's bold vision is to turn the spirit of Chianti, driven by the Sangiovese grape - which he holds in high esteem - on its head, with vinifications and blends (mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and other French varieties) in the Bordeaux style he has always admired. The result is striking: La Massa and Giorgio Primo (in IGT Toscana) have quickly established a fine international reputation.
In the beginning, nothing predestined Neapolitan Giampaolo Motta, a man of many challenges (he was a rally driver), to embark on a career in viticulture of excellence. This former chemist first studied chemistry in Lyon, France. Son of a tanner in Milan - his family has been in the tannery business for ten generations - this “lover of life” discovered in Lyon its gastronomy, French wines and Bordeaux wines in particular. It was love at first sight, especially with the wines of the Médoc and its emblematic grape variety, Cabernet Sauvignon. On completing his studies, he returned to Italy and went back to the family business, but bathed in dreams that probably involved the world of wine. This trend was confirmed during a vacation in Tuscany, where he had a real revelation. His family, no strangers to Italian winegrowing, had no influence whatsoever on him to turn away from the tannery. On the contrary, Giampaolo is the generation that should logically take over the family tannery. But he has other plans, other desires and probably other challenges to face, even if it means moving away from those closest to him. The love of wine and viticulture is stronger. Wine can become the project of a lifetime, his own. And so begins an unlikely (in the eyes of those closest to him) adventure into wine.
Adventurous but not crazy, there's no question of lack of discernment. He's not the son of a winegrower. It's not a foregone conclusion. Nothing discourages this stubborn man. Giampaolo has to learn everything about wine, down to the smallest detail. To do so, he takes on a series of jobs at wineries in the heart of the Chianti region, kingdom of the Sangiovese grape. He worked as a tractor operator and cellar master, learning everything about wine production from vine to glass. In the process, he gained experience at renowned estates such as Villa Cafaggio, Fontodi and Castello dei Rampolla.
Now that the apprenticeship is over, Giampaolo Motta wants to go one step further. This would be the purchase of Fattoria La Massa. At the end of 1991/beginning of 1992, he decided to realize his dream of becoming a self-employed winemaker by acquiring this estate with great potential. Tenuta La Massa was no stranger to him. The estate, located in the commune of Panzano in Chianti, is adjacent to another estate where he held the position of cellar master. So Giampaolo had plenty of time to observe the estate and its surroundings. La Massa is a winegrowing estate with a tradition dating back to the 15th century, although wheat was also grown here. At 360 meters above sea level, the Tenuta is ideally situated in the heart of the Conca d'Oro (meaning “golden shell”) and its valley. So named by the locals for its resemblance to a large clam. The 27-hectare, south-facing vineyard enjoys the perfect micro-climate for ripening grapes. The area is already home to a host of talented producers considered to be among the best in the Chianti Classico appellation. Enough to motivate Giampaolo to do as well as his neighbors, or even better, or simply differently. As such, it will be just as good, and in its own style.
For this former rally driver, quality is also a question of performance. La Massa therefore deserves the best technical configurations to achieve the wine quality that Giampaolo had in mind from the outset. Let's not forget that our neo-winemaker's model is embodied in the wines of Bordeaux, and those of the Médoc in particular, as he admires the Cabernet Sauvignon grape variety. Without wishing to turn Massa into a copy of Bordeaux wines, even though we're in Tuscany, in the heart of Chianti, where the benchmark grape variety is the great Sangiovese, of which our producer is in fact a great fan, Giampaolo nevertheless wishes to produce Tuscan wines that are out of the ordinary, if not singular, in the image, why not, of the “Super Tuscans” produced in the Bolgheri DOCG and which, let's not forget, have made the international reputation of Italian wines since the mid-80s.
Giampaolo began by assembling a team of young collaborators, each as talented and committed as the next, in unison with their leader. The project: to quickly build a locality with a strong identity, so that the wines can be recognized as La Massa's signature. We need to shape this identity, and gain a better understanding of how the vineyard works, since it boasts a rich and complex soil diversity: an asset for infusing nuanced expressions with a strong identity into the wines. This was done in 2000, with the zoning of plots and their precise carthography. This analysis, based on soil cross-sections, will enable us to delimit the vineyard into several zones, so as to better define the contours of the parcels according to the characteristics of the soil and subsoil composition.
The La Massa vineyard, which today covers no less than 27 hectares, was partially replanted in 1997. The soil, which appears to be clay-limestone, is much more complex than it seems, and is divided into three distinct geological segments. The first is made up of yellow and grey “scaly” marls known as “galestro”. The second is a large block of layers enclosed in a clay matrix. Finally, the third is made up of calcareous marl and blue, black and grey shale. These latter geological features probably explain the mineral signature of the wines produced by the estate. Is this the authentic signature of Massa wines? Nothing could be more certain!
Once the zoning of the parcels had been undertaken in 2000, the organic management of the vineyards the same year (starting with soil revitalization work) and a full understanding of the vineyard's characteristics had been acquired, Giampaolo realized that the wines to be produced had to be an accurate reflection of all the complex nuances of his vineyard, with the possibility of managing the whole estate on a parcel-by-parcel basis. It was with this in mind that, in 2008, Giampaolo Motta called on a friend from Bordeaux, whose undisputed experience has enabled him to rapidly acquire great credibility both in the Bordeaux region and internationally. This friend is Stéphane Derenoncourt, the other great consultant oenologist in the famous Bordeaux trio of Michel Rolland and Eric Boissenot.
As soon as Stéphane Derenoncourt arrived on the scene, parcel-based management was confirmed as the only desired and accepted method. But for this to happen, Tenuta La Massa had to be equipped with suitable winemaking equipment, including vats with more appropriate containers. In 2011, Bordeaux architect Bernard Mazières (known for his work on the cellars of the 1er Grand Cru Classé in 1855, Château Latour, as well as other equally renowned estates such as Petrus and Mouton-Rothschild) will take on the task of transforming La Massa by equipping it with state-of-the-art infrastructure: the vat room and the cellar. When you first go to La Massa, and pass through the vat room (remarkable, among other things, for its checkerboard floor reminiscent of the black-and-white checkerboard flag used in the world of motor racing, Giampaolo's passion) and the cellar, you might forget you're in Italy and in the heart of Chianti Classico, so omnipresent is the Bordeaux style. Not very Tuscan, you may say! Of course not! The winery, with its small, 100% gravity-fed vats, is fully operational to manage parcel-based vinifications - thus responding to the development of each parcel's identity - in order to abandon another policy: that of grape variety development, even if Sangiovese is at the heart of the vineyard but has to share the limelight - with other, more Bordeaux-style grape varieties that Giampaolo has always held in high esteem: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot. Let's not forget that our winemaker is a great admirer of Bordeaux.
It might come as a surprise that Giampaolo, buoyed by his international success, hasn't continued to develop this fine family estate La Tenuta La Massa with his own funds. But in order to grow, and to meet ever more demanding quality standards and ambitious goals, Giampaolo decided not to go it alone and, in November 2018, brought in two investors, each holding 40% of the estate's shares. One is an Italian wine group, Tommasi de Valpolicella, and the other, a private investor, Ermen Minari (executive of a French logistics company). Tommasi de Valpolicella has a twenty-year track record of buying or acquiring stakes in Italian wine estates such as Poggio al Tufo (Maremma), Masseria Surani (Manduria), Azienda Paternoster (Basilicata), Podere Casisano (Montalcino) and Tenuta Caseo (Oltrepo Pavese). These new investors guarantee Tenuta La Massa a more ambitious and serene development. As Giampaolo knows his estate better than anyone else, he naturally retains a 20% stake in the winery, enabling him to guarantee the quality and style he so brilliantly pioneered.
The influence of Bordeaux on Giampaolo Motta's vision is so pervasive that it instilled in him early on a less than “academic” approach to winemaking, at least with regard to the very traditional Tuscan approach, even if it meant being mistaken for a madman. Although Giampaolo was an ardent lover of Bordeaux grape varieties, he was nonetheless a great fan of the local Tuscan star: Sangiovese. Giampaolo Motta's original approach to winemaking led him, unbeknownst to his in-house consultant oenologist Carlo Ferrini, to start prolonged ageing on lees with regular stirring of the lees and micro-oxygenation in the 90s. But this bold approach soon paid off, as the wines began to make a name for themselves, giving the estate a certain international renown in the late 90s.
Giampaolo Motta's wines are a reflection of his character: singular, modest yet great in quality, steeped in history and dreams. Of course, the most striking feature is the Bordeaux style, while the wines are truly Tuscan. What does this mean? Tenuta La Massa doesn't deny its origins or its terroir (on the contrary, in fact), but it has quickly adopted a far more daring and modern approach to Tuscan wine than the (albeit very defensible) classicism of many wines produced in Tuscany. In this respect, it's a bit like Château Pontet Canet (the most modern Pauillac wine) or Château Clinet (one of the appellation's trendiest Pomerol wines). As we've already mentioned, Giampaolo didn't content himself with the sacrosanct Sangiovese to produce Chianti Classico. By deciding early on to plant Bordeaux grape varieties in his vineyards, Giampaolo gave himself the opportunity to express his talents in Chianti Classico, while also giving himself the means to produce wines less subject to the constraints of the Sangiovese quota (in proportions) imposed by the Consorzio Chianti Classico, which Giampaolo would leave after 10 years of experimenting with grape varieties, different clones, rootstocks, Guyot pruning... Unconvinced by the results, the first vintages produced by La Massa, bearing the Chianti Classico appellation on the label, were soon replaced by the IGT (Indication Géographique Typique) in 2002, Giampaolo decided to downgrade the wine to produce a Super Tuscan freed from the restrictions of the appellation (the obligatory percentage of Sangiovese), allowing him to vinify Bordeaux grapes and blend them with Sangiovese, thus bringing more innovation to the style.
In 1998, La Massa wine was sold under the Chianti Classico appellation until the 2001 vintage. From 2002 onwards, La Massa (a blend of Sangiovese and Merlot with a little Cabernet Sauvignon) will carry the IGT Toscana label. This allows the estate to produce, in addition to the “second wine” (which is La Massa), a first wine (or “grand label”), Giorgio Primo, with the best grapes from the estate, according to the profile of each vintage. But, as the owner admits, it's also for commercial reasons. Indeed, the initial price of Giorgio Primo made it one of the most expensive Chianti wines on both the domestic and export markets. The switch to IGT Toscana, at the same price, enabled it to be positioned as an “entry-level” wine, to be considered more for its real, intrinsic quality than for its price. A winning bet, given the sales figures.
Giorgio Primo, or the great wine in the Premium segment, is the natural choice for the head of the cuvée. It's a Super Tuscan of great beauty, with great finesse and tension on the nose and palate. This other IGT Toscana comes from his son's first name, Giorgio, and a tribute to Giampaolo's grandfather. This wine represents a kind of synthesis between innovation and tradition. Powerful, deeper, more structured, with more sap than the La Massa wine, Giorgio Primo is a wine of character whose characteristic aromas of leather and empyreumatic scents (especially tar) are reminiscent of Montalcino wines, but with a more modern twist, notably with the choice of aging in new barrels.
In addition to these two flagship wines, Giampaolo also produces another wine named after his daughter: Carla. Under the “Carla 6” label, Tenuta La Massa produces a 100% Sangiovese (a selection of the best grapes from plot no. 6, planted in 1999), mineral and very graphite (a reminder of the plot's gray schist and sand), fruity, rich, pure, in other words, delicious.
Giampaolo's wines have freshness, density and finesse, and their modernity both intrigues and delights. Probably some of the best and most convincing Chiantis on the market, both in terms of quality and price.
An “entry-level” wine in the Massa universe, this wine - produced at around 150,000 bottles and aged for 10 months in new barrels - is based on a blend of predominantly Sangiovese (60%), complemented by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a hint of Alicante (a grape variety more familiar in France's southeastern Languedoc region). La Massa 2018 IGT Toscana is a beautiful deep red color. The nose generously expresses scents of red plums and blackcurrant-type berries, mixed with notes of red fruit jam. Agitation reveals spicy accents. On the palate, the wine has a certain weight without extreme concentration, with fairly tight tannins (which will mellow with age), without lacking in maturity, and good body. The finish is refreshing and of good length. This is a complete wine that will find its full harmony in a few more years (8 to 10).
This Super Tuscan, produced in the region of 10,000 bottles, is the fruit of a blend of the best parcels identified (clay and limestone soils with blue, black and grey schist) - a process that began in 2000 with the zoning of the parcels - and it's fair to say that Giampaolo and his teams were quick to capitalize on these years of terroir study. Only Bordeaux grape varieties are used in the blending of this flagship premium wine, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot all hand-picked and placed in crates, before moving on to a first sorting table and then a second for even greater selectivity. The grapes are then transported on carts and placed in small gravity-fed vats, with greater respect for the berries. As far as fermentation is concerned, by vinifying in batches (the advantage of parcel-based management) only “indigenous yeasts” are used, as far as possible, with a minimum of sulfur. The wine is then aged in new barrels (80% new) for 18 months. As mentioned in the presentation, Giampaolo was influenced by both the Bordeaux methods of the Médoc grands crus and his own experience of winemaking in Italy before buying La Massa in 1991. He has given himself the means to do as well as he did in Bordeaux, in the heart of Chianti, shaping a great wine full of spirit, character and modesty; in short, a wine in his own image.
Giorgio Primo 2019 is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine's color is, dare we say it, a foretaste. With its dark, almost inky red color, the wine has great density. Complex, intense and deep, the nose delights us with its springtime floral scents of wisteria, quickly evolving into a very black-fruit aromatic profile of burlat cherry (almost sherry or kirsch), crushed blackberry, all with great olfactory tension, clarity and freshness (purity of fruit). A lot of alcohol might be feared, but the acidity, and hence the freshness, provide a perfect balance to this wine with perfectly ripe, PH-balanced grapes. Agitation confirms the wine's richness and density, with notes of cigar box and Lebanese cedar. This balsamic and empyreumatic side is very subtle. The olfactory tension (the wine's mineral edge) is quite striking and probably owes its explanation more to the schistose character of the soils and subsoils of the plots used to make this wine than to the presence of limestone. The palate confirms the density of the nose and reveals, with a frank attack bringing great dynamism to the wine, a controlled concentration and power with a refined, racy structure of rich but perfectly integrated tannins. The finish is long and talkative, reminding us that this wine, and this vintage in particular, is both powerful and elegant. This is an IGT Toscana of great character and long ageing potential. A very fine wine.
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