Italy · Tuscany

La Massa

La Massa is a Chianti Classico estate in the Panzano in Chianti commune, one of the appellation's warmest and most fruit-expressive subzones, owned by Giorgio Motta who purchased the property in 1992 and transformed it into a benchmark for modern, international-leaning Chianti Classico. The estate's flagship, Giorgio Primo, is a Sangiovese-dominant blend with Merlot that averages $59 at auction and the 2007 vintage appears as the reference point; the standard Chianti Classico averages $28. Giorgio Primo's blend philosophy — including international varieties — reflects the estate's deliberate break from DOCG regulations in certain years, leading to IGT classification for some releases. La Massa is consistently associated with the 'modernist' camp in Chianti Classico's stylistic debate: riper fruit, more new oak, and softer tannins than traditionalists like Fontodi or Isole e Olena. The 1996 Chianti Classico appears as a top vintage in the portfolio, a year that demonstrated Panzano's ability to produce age-worthy Sangiovese in the right hands. At 100 lots averaging $45 across the portfolio, La Massa trades as an accessible, quality-focused Chianti Classico with a modern style that appeals to international buyers.