Fattoria La Massa 2015, IGT Toscana
Awarded 94 Points by James Suckling, 2015 La Massa gives classic black cherry and blackberry nose with balsamic, great tea, cedarwood, vanilla and chocolates. On the first sip, fruit unmasked; nose sequenced, palate structured. The finish is velvety and creamy texture. It is slightly more flavoursome and subtle than 2014. With some complexity and intensity, it is a blend of 60% Sangiovese, 30% Merlot. 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Alicante showing beautiful concentration and colour saturation. Over time(3 to 4 hours after opening), the palate reminds lean pork and beef jerky, returns to and is intense. A good mid-palate, food wine. Excellent value for the score and price.
La Massa is made up of grapes from 27 hectares of vineyards, all with southern exposure in the ‘Golden Basin’ of Panzano. The vines planted at 360 meters above sea level. The soil is a mixture of loose marl and limestone. The grounds fall into three distinct geological formations: an undifferentiated complex of clayey schist and calcareous marl, a structure of scaly yellow and grey marl and the third segment of large blocks or layers enclosed in a clayey matrix. The wine ages in 20 per cent new French and 80 per cent one-year-old French oak barrels for 12 months.
On websites, various sources quote that "The Fattoria La Massa estate situated in the hills of Panzano, in the prestigious ‘Conca d’Oro’ (Golden Basin) of the Chianti Classico DOCG zone; the winery has been producing wine since the fifteenth century. Current owner Giampaolo Motta purchased La Massa in 1992 and bottled the first vintage of ‘Giorgio Primo’ (sold as Chianti Classico then) and immediately achieved the prestigious ‘Tre Bicchieri’ (three glasses) from the Italian wine guide Gambero Rosso. The praise of the international press has not stopped since."
