2016 Fattoria la Massa La Massa Toscana IGT 750 ml

When Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate declares, “You absolutely can't beat this unbelievable value from Tuscany,” you pay attention, which is exactly what Wine Access members did with the last vintage of the La Massa Toscana IGT. It sold out instantly, just like the previous few vintages before that, crowning La Massa as one of our top-selling labels—of any category.

This 2016 La Massa received an even better Wine Advocate score—93 points—with the accompanying review calling it “surprisingly complex and profound,” and touting its increased “tension and dimension” and “more overall freshness” than its predecessor. In Vinous, Antonio Galloni went even further: “2016 La Massa is a gorgeous entry-label wine…[with] superb aromatic intensity, vibrant fruit and exceptional balance.”

The structure is indeed impressive, but we were even more intrigued by all of its crushed blackberry and plum flavors, followed by grilled herb, menthol, and spiced tobacco before its finish of leather and spice. The wildest thing is that La Massa’s sophisticated tannins practically guarantee that it will continue to improve over the next decade. Quite a feat for a wine that costs less than two movie tickets.

Giampaolo Motta has made La Massa one of the greatest Super Tuscan estates, thanks in large part to his hiring Bordeaux’s legendary 100-point magnate Stéphane Derenoncourt—whom Wine Spectator has hailed the “world’s hottest winemaker.” Together, Motta and Derenoncourt continue to outdo themselves with every vintage, and it’s no surprise that Tuscany’s “iconic” 2016 vintage proved no exception.

In Chianti, La Massa sits on hallowed ground—111 acres in the famed Conca d’Oro, or Golden Basin. The estate is over 500 years old, and Cabernet Sauvignon has been grown there for the last 400 years. The legendary Galestro soils of the Conca d’Oro are strewn with shards of limestone, adding an unmistakable mineral element to the wine.

In 1992, when the La Massa estate was listed on the market, Giampaolo Motta was making wine just next door, but had always coveted La Massa’s soils. Seizing the opportunity, Motta purchased La Massa and has never looked back. Since then, praise has accompanied every release, often led by Parker’s Wine Advocate, which has hailed the “extreme elegance” of the wines of La Massa, and called it one of their “favorite estates” in the region.

Usually, the only thing we have against Super Tuscans are their super price tags. La Massa comes in at less than a top Chianti, so we decided to test its muster: We have a serious Italian collector friend who loves to wax poetic about how many “‘aias” he has in his cellar, referring to the Sassicaias, Ornellaias, and Solaias that fetch $250+ per bottle—even the regional “bargain” Tignanello clocks in at $80-$100, no matter the vintage.

Like most Super Tuscan collectors, our friend rarely opens any, so at a recent dinner party, we blinded him on the 2016 La Massa. His eyes went wide as he whispered, “Is this the latest Tig?” Not quite expecting THAT, we felt bad for a second. But just for that second—when we told him what it was, he immediately threw down for two cases: “Finally, a Super Tuscan I can actually enjoy!” The irony. We know exactly what he meant.

For lovers of Old World reds from the classic regions, value and quality don’t often come together like this. When they do, it’s time to make a move.