Rebel with a Cause

Even though his La Massa estate is situated in the heart of Chianti Classico—right next to Fontodi and Castello dei Rampolla, Giampaolo Motta waited a long time to introduce a Sangiovese bottling.

He was kind of like a rockstar who wears jeans to the Opera, a super-talented rebel who questioned convention every step of the way.

Finally, as he was rounding out his La Massa portfolio, the time was right to launch Carla 6, 100% Sangiovese made from the 6 best rows of his estate. (This was 2011, around the time the Consorzio changed the ruling to permit 100% Sangioveses to be labeled Chianti Classico—but no matter, by this time Motta was 100% off the grid, IGT.)

The Carla 6 1ha vineyard plot has soils of grey schist and sand. Vinification is pretty similar to a pinot noir, highlighting the minerality of graphite soils with the fresh, floral and delicate red fruit flavors of the berry.

Grapes are rigorously selected, lightly pressed, fermented with native yeasts in conical stainless steel tanks. The wine is aged 15 months in French oak barrels (Tonneaux 500 lt), 50% new, followed by concrete tank for other 12 months. The wine rests in bottle another year before release.

Stylistically, Carla 6 is a Sangiovese you drink out of a Burgundy glass, compared to, say, Flaccianello which calls for a Bordeaux stem. And with just 3,000 bottles made (1/20th of Flaccianello's production), it's a stunning wine and my personal favorite of the La Massa lineup.

At this point, it's just a matter of time before you hear other people talking about it. Unless, of course, they hear about it from you.

Giampaolo Motta makes it look easy.