La Massa, Toscana Rosso

This may indeed be an “international” wine, one which contains a healthy percentage of Cabernet and bears the mark of a high-flying consultant from Bordeaux, but it is still a “Tuscan” wine first and foremost. Let’s be clear about that. The so-called “Super-Tuscans” aren’t meant to be imitations of wines from Bordeaux—the best of them show how well, if differently, the classic grapes of Bordeaux do in the Tuscan terroir. And while some parts of Tuscany more strongly resemble Bordeaux, La Massa in Chianti Classico is a long way away, both literally and figuratively.There’s a long list of legendary wines from Chianti that contain Cabernet Sauvignon in some percentage (“Solaia,” “Tignanello,” and “Sammarco,” to name a few), and their greatness doesn’t derive from imitating Bordeaux. On the contrary, these wines show a more woodsy, mineral, savory side of the Cabernet grape, especially when it is blended with the local Sangiovese. There’s plenty of concentrated fruit and polish, yes, but w