La Massa Toscana 2006
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Spectator
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Robert
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#31 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2008
"Rich, almost decadent aromas of crushed berry, meat and mole. Turns floral. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. A beauty. Best after 2011."
-Wine Spectator
"The 2006 La Massa is 60% Sangiovese, 30% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 14 months in French oak (20% new). It is a gorgeous, fruit-driven wine with superb depth in its plums, dark cherries, herbs and sweet toasted oak. It offers terrific balance in its fruit, structure and acidity, all of which come together in a very pretty La Massa."
-Wine Advocate
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- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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After being inspired in Bordeaux, Giampaolo Motta left his family's leather business behind in Naples and headed north to work in Chianti where he learned the art of winemaking. Working in Chianti and then in Bordeaux, he developed the practices and philosophy that he would come to embody at La Massa, where Giampaolo owns 27ha of vineyards in the Conca d'Oro (trans. The Golden Basin) of Panzano in Chianti. Acquiring this ancient, hilly property in 1991, with its vineyards that have been farmed since the 15th century, Giampaolo gained a reputation with the release of his first vintage of Giorgio Primo, one year later. Proceeding to produce two Chianti Classico wines until he decided to declassify in 2002, Giampaolo immediately gained and maintained a following.
In 1998, Giampaolo released La Massa, another Chianti Classico wine that he declassified in 2002. Wanting the freedom to produce high quality wines that didn't require specific percentages of Sangiovese, Giampaolo decided to produce IGT wines that were driven by La Massa's terrior. Nowadays, Giorgio Primo is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot, and La Massa consists of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and some Merlot or Alicante B.
On the heels of receiving spectacular scores from the Wine Advocate, in 2008 Giampaolo hired his good friend of 15 years, Stephane Derenoncourt, one of the most renowned winemakers in Bordeaux, to advise on vineyard management and in the cellar. Working together with great respect for the earth and the fruit, Giampaolo and Stephane practice "logical" agriculture, releasing Derenoncourt's first vintage in 2009. "We employ sustainable methods in growing grapes: no artificial fertilizers, but rather green manure. No herbicides, we use 'sexual confusion' as a pesticide, and very little spraying for peronospora," says Giampaolo. In the winery, they use natural yeasts, "since we have a high grape quality, very little sulfur for hygienic purposes of cleaning barriques and very little at bottling for conservation. We have kept the ecological equilibrium of La Massa intact."
Legendary in Italy for its Renaissance art and striking landscape, Tuscany is also home to many of the country’s best red wines. Sangiovese reigns supreme here, as either the single varietal, or a dominant player, in almost all of Tuscany’s best.
A remarkable Chianti, named for its region of origin, will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and plenty of cherry fruit character. From the hills and valleys surrounding the medieval village of Montalcino, come the distinguished and age-worthy wines based on Brunello (Sangiovese). Earning global acclaim since the 1970s, the Tuscan Blends are composed solely of international grape varieties or a mix of international and Sangiovese. The wine called Vine Nobile di Montepulciano, composed of Prognolo Gentile (Sangiovese) and is recognized both for finesse and power.