La Massa La Massa Rosso Toscana 2020

LA MASSA! No, I’m not talking about some artisan tortilla maker – Gianpaolo Motta, good people! The Naples-born, Bordeaux-obsessed, Tuscan raider rebel behind this 96 POINT beast of a Super-Tuscan!!! And the PRICE!!! 60% off, UNDER $25…are you kidding me?!

Run, sprint, breakdance – I don’t care – just move like the wind to grab some of this…STAT! I LOVE this wine. The Last Bottle staff ADORES this wine. Critics can scarcely contain themselves…

“...quite the powerhouse…”, “great value across the board…”, “super delicious now with the structure to cellar...”

BOOM! The winery’s SRP of $60 is stunning enough – as this routinely outpaces, outperforms, and OUTLASTS plenty of Super-Tuscans that sell for $125++ – but to have that, TODAY, for a full 60% less? You know what’s coming, folks…INCONCEIVABLE!!!

Cherries, and fresh asphalt, with spearmint, and black currants, graphite, and bay laurel, spiced plums, roasted fennel, crushed gravel, violets, rose petals…and…AND! A cacophony of juicy berries! Wildly complex, almost savage, but with a carefree elegance that gives this wine a haunting natural beauty. Robust texture with a sateen-level polish, and a long, lingering finish? You betcha!!! This is crazy impressive stuff – especially at that BEST in the USA UNDER $25 price point!

50% sangiovese, 30% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot, with a pinch of alicante bouschet – all from glorious Chianti! Gianpaolo (but when you’ve drunk as many bubbles together as we have, we call him GIAMPAGNE!) is the quintessential black sheep of Chianti and the great Gandalf behind La Massa. Born in Naples to a family with a leather goods business, he was then sent over to France for the prerequisite schooling – only to fall in love with a French oenologist in Bordeaux. He soon realized he loved Bordeaux wines even more than the girl – and an enduring passion and a dream was born! In 1992, he bought the La Massa property in Chianti’s Panzano region – the first fully ORGANIC region in all of Italy. He quickly tired of his dealings with the tyrannical Chianti Classico Consorzio – and began grafting much of his sangiovese over to his cherished Bordeaux varietals. The unique soils and micro-climate allowed his vines to thrive as never before – and with the addition of prized Bordeaux winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt in 2008 – La Massa climbed the ranks to become one of the top Tuscan estates in the world!!! We tasted a whole slew of these incredible La Massas (don’t you dare call them “entry-level”!) at the winery in April – and even after 2+ decades, they were simply GORGEOUS! One day – we’ll convince Giampagne to just sell us every last bottle he makes…but until then…you’d best snag this 96 POINT stunner while we’ve got some.

WHILE IT LASTS!!!

** EASTER EGG ALERT: take a look at the back label for a little jab at the Chianti Classico Consorzio. When Gianpaolo opted to leave the organization in 2002, they added a little graphic of the region’s famous Gallo Nero (black rooster) tied up and spit-roasted over an open flame. I love you, Giampagne. **