Fattoria La Massa

From Naples to Panzano

Giampaolo Motta is originally from Naples and worked at wineries in France and Chianti Classico. In 1992, he founded Fattoria La Massa with the specific ambition to introduce Bordeaux's winemaking techniques to Tuscany and produce wines that would be recognized internationally.

What followed was less a simple acquisition and more a reconstruction. Motta restored the vineyards and conducted a detailed study of the soil before deciding what to plant where; the winemaking methods were determined based on these findings rather than the appellation regulations.

Two wines highlight the latter part of this journey. In 2011, Carla 6 was released, a pure Sangiovese harvested from Plot No. 6 and named after Motta's daughter. In 2019 came a single-varietal Merlot, Asiram, named after his mother, Marisa, with the order of the letters reversed, was released.

Funding and influence soon followed. In November  2018, Tommasi Family Estates, the producer of Valpolicella, entered into a partnership to secure a stake in Fattoria La Massa. 

 For Tommasi, the key focus was investment, specifically, planting new clones that Motta had already researched and building a larger export network.

Twenty-seven hectares in the Conca d'Oro

Fattoria La Massa spans 45 hectares in the Panzano region of Chianti, 27 hectares of which are planted with grapevines. The entire area is located in Conca d'Oro, a basin where the vineyards, which most people consider to be part of the Panzano cru, are concentrated.

Sun exposure is consistent. The vineyard faces southwest, meaning it actually receives sunlight throughout the afternoon, allowing late-ripening varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot to fully ripen.

The age of the vines varies. Approximately 18 hectares were planted a generation ago and are now well over 25 years old, while about 9 hectares were replanted more recently and are therefore much younger.

Not all plots are managed in the same way. Plot No. 6 is cultivated and bottled separately, demonstrating that the soil mapping commissioned by Motta was not merely a formal procedure. La Massa is also a member of Unione Viticoltori Panzano, the group of growers that spearheaded Italy's first wine biodistrict.

What Panzano gives these wines

Altitude plays a major role here. The Fattoria La Massa's vineyard is located at an average elevation of 360 meters above sea level, a height sufficient to preserve the wine's acidity and delicate aromas in this region, where temperatures rise in the afternoon.

The soil varies across the vineyard, with Plot No. 6 being the most representative example. Composed of gray schist mixed with sand, this soil has such distinct characteristics that Motta produces it as a separate wine rather than blending it with other wines.

Panzano's reputation stems from the characteristics of its terrain. The vineyards curve around Conca d'Oro like theater seats, all sloping in the same direction. Thanks to this consistent sunlight and drainage, this single municipality is home to a concentration of numerous prestigious Chianti Classico wineries.

Five varieties, Bordeaux included

The cultivation composition of Fattoria La Massa gives the impression of being a blend of Chianti Classico and Bordeaux Left Bank:

• The base varieties Sangiovese and Tuscan, and the only grape variety included in Carla 6
• Merlot, which goes into Giorgio Primo and is the sole variety in Asiram
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Petit Verdot
• Alicante Bouschet: a unique presence in this group

Mota uses these varieties differently depending on the wine. Giorgio Primo is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot — the Bordeaux varieties — and contains no Sangiovese at all. This winery's bottled La Massa, on the other hand, blends Sangiovese with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. However, no specific regulations (disciplinare) apply here, and for that very reason, most of these wines are labeled as IGT Toscana.

A Bordeaux cellar in Chianti

This wine cellar was literally built according to the Bordeaux template. The Fattoria La Massa winery was designed by Mazières Architectural Studio, which was also responsible for the designs of Châteaux Latour, Pétrus, Mouton Rothschild, with a total area of approximately 2,200 square meters.

The interior layout makes full use of state-of-the-art equipment and is designed to ensure that grapes and wine move smoothly through the winemaking and aging processes with minimal disruption. This is the practical aspect of Motta's initial plan. In other words, rather than forcing French oak barrels into the Tuscan recipe, the goal is to apply French techniques to Tuscan fruit.

The scale is kept at a manageable level. Annual production across the entire lineup is approximately 140,000 bottles, which is not mass production for a 27-hectare vineyard.

The wines

Giorgio Primo is the flagship, and it is the most Bordeaux thing Fattoria La Massa does: a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, built for structure and for keeping.

Carla 6 comes from the opposite direction. Pure Sangiovese, single plot, schist and sand, first bottled in 2011. Put next to Giorgio Primo it works as a control experiment on the same hillside.

Around those two sit the rest of the range. La Massa, the IGT that gives the estate its name, blends Sangiovese with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Asiram, the varietal Merlot, joined more recently, drawing on the older Giorgio Primo plantings. Larger formats, magnums and double magnums, turn up for the top labels.