Giorgio Primo, Fattoria La Massa 2019

Extremely complex aromas of crushed currants, spices and sandalwood with some bark. Violets, too! Full-bodied with creamy, polished tannins and great intensity. Layered and beautiful. Better in 2024, but already beautiful to try.

The beautiful 2019 Giorgio Primo is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Vintner Giampaolo Motta's inspiration is the great wines of Bordeaux, and his vision has never changed despite many passing trends. But perhaps his most important choice as a winemaker (born outside of Tuscany) is his firm commitment to Panzano in Chianti as the ideal home for the French grapes he cultivates. An exciting new Merlot is also in the works, so stay tuned. This is an etched and polished wine with dark fruit, spice, graphite and pencil shavings. The tannins are beautifully managed, and the wine is long and complex.

The first time on the Place de Bordeaux for La Massa's top cuvée Giorgio Primo, founded by Giampaolo Motta in 1992 in Chianti’s Conca d'Oro (golden basin) in Panzano 360m above sea level. The estate comprises 25 hectares of southwest-facing vines planted on schist clay, galestro marl and limestone. This cuvée, Giorgio Primo, is named after Motta's grandfather and son, and is a Bordeaux blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Intense, expressive and rich on the nose - dried herbs, sunkissed plums, balsamic-edged blackcurrants and fragrant black cherries with touches of cinnamon, tobacco clove and black olive. Bright, punchy and forward - alive and flowing, this has energy and excitement from the start with controlled power and balanced acidity that underpins chalky and velvety tannins. Calm, collected, graceful and very seductive. This really grows, expanding and lengthening vertically giving layers of flavour and texture but no overt heaviness. You can feel the flash of heat and the Tuscan herbs in the soft and warm spices throughout - as well as the menthol and liquorice finish with iron filings and wet stone aspects - but this also has a soft, understated side that suggests there's more to come with ageing. A beauty of a wine. Extremely drinkable and enjoyable, I love it. 2% press wine. Ageing in French oak barriques (50% new), six months of which is on lees with frequent batonnage. Bottled in September 2021. 3.77pH. 4.78g/l total acidity.