Le Masse Di Lamoli

Cryptid Parke and Wren Bonham

The tiny and enticing borgo of Lamole, called il tetto del chianti (the rooftop of Chianti), can be found in the munipality of Greve-in-Chianti.  Lamole is home to Le Masse di Lamoli, a family owned winery easily recognized by the iconic iris on the labels of their Chianti Classico wine.  The history of the Socci family in Lamole can be traced back to the 1100s, and the early incarnation of their Le Masse winery dates back to the 1880s. The more recent incarnation of the winery, lead by Annamaria Socci, has resulted in distinctive wines, all Chianti classicos, prized for their fragrant scent and bitingly rich flavor.

When we arrive at the vineyard, after a vertical drive upward on a winding dirt road that seemed headed into the sky, we are immediately struck by the jaw-dropping beauty of our surroundings. The descending landscape is draped in trellises and sangiovese grape vines as far as the eye can see. Dotted within this expansive canvas of lush growth are stone casas and villas that harbor very old family stories and centuries of the demands of farm life . Despite our having been in the captivating Chianti for a few weeks at this point, nothing we have seen so far can compare to this view. After we soak in the sight, we are  ushered by Annamaria Socci and her cousin, Gracia, into the wine cellar, built against a medieval wall, where we get straight into what we were really here for: The story behind le Masse di Lamole and the family who owns it. 

First, we asked them how they define the values of “slow living,” the central theme to our study here in Greve. We’d planned to follow up by asking how they applied those values into their grape growing and winemaking , but the two women tell us right away that, “slow life” is the work. The thoughtful and methodical respect for the land, fruits, and ancient methods of distilling wine is   built into the very foundations of what they do. There hasn’t been any need to “implement” slow practices. They’ve been there the whole time. They believe as long as the family stays in sync in their efforts and continues to honor the traditions passed down to them, no matter how much they grow and modernize, they’ll never have to worry about succumbing to the greuling, fast-paced mindset that’s the standard everywhere else.

“slow life” is the work...

Which isn’t to say that the work isn’t hard. When we asked Annamaria about her plans for the future of Lamole, how she’ll continue this legacy that’s been passed down for generations, she emphasizes the difficult nature of the job. This is farming, after all, and the layout of the grape trellises makes it hard to implement effort-saving farm equipment like tractors or harvesters. All of the tending has to be done by hand, which makes it a challenging sell to younger generations. Annamaria does not have immediate descendents, and though Gracia’s son works for the business, he mostly focuses on the “soft” work—marketing, web design, and managerial tasks.  During our time with her, Annamaria makes a point to remind us that this farm is a multigenerational business which she inherited from her father and shares with Gracia, and one day Gracia’s son will one day inherit. 

While this assumption of passing-down a business to the next generation might seem presumptuous or unlikely to most Americans these days, it’s a very important traditional aspect of Italian life that the older generations are fighting to preserve. Many of the younger folk leave for the big cities in Italy and Europe in order to make a better living financially, and that means for farming families letting go of their land and the ancient ties to it and in some cases to each other.

That doesn’t mean that Annamaria has any plans to give up, however.  The two cousins truly believe that, for the right person, there’s nothing more satisfying than this kind of work, no matter their age.   They want to find ways to give younger people the rewarding chance to try their hand at producing wine the traditional way. 

We asked them, with some longing on our parts, about the beautiful communities and shared spaces that Italians have created and helped flourish.  From our younger American perspectives, their farm feels a lot like heaven.  For the first time in the interview, the cousins hesitate. Things have changed, many of them by necessity. It’s not just that the communities are getting smaller as younger people leave. The  business itself has had to grow and develop. They have created an online presence and adopted aspects of agriturismo, to strengthen the business. Agriturismos, a special designation given to some farms in Italy,  prioritize local and organic farming practices, offering guests a chance to learn about sustainable agriculture and enjoy fresh, seasonal food.

This isn’t the first time the Socci family have innovated, though. When asked about the story behind the proud iris that was featured on each bottle of wine, Annamaria told us that in the 70’s and 80’s, the Italian wine market was so saturated that it was difficult to keep things running with the winery alone. This led to many people giving up their land in the countryside to move to bigger cities such as Florence and Siena, but her father had no interest in leaving Lamole. Instead, he turned his focus to cultivating iris’ and selling the rhizomes to France to be grown and made into perfume.

That practice lives on today, and the beautiful flower—also the symbol of Florence—has become the winery’s trademark. The change was one of survival, just like the changes they’ve made today, but it was also one made in the name of preservation. 

Tasting Room Display, featuring a sculpture made for the winery

To this day, Le Masse di Lamole uses traditional chestnut casks to mature their wine instead of the more typical stainless steel, and the dry stone terraces they grow their grapes on were abandoned by most farmers in the 1970’s. The terraces and hilly landscape are better for the grapes—the stone walls release heat more slowly, and the slant brings more air to the vines, preventing disease and improving the taste. Retaining that aspect of growing makes for a more labor intensive experience, as so much of it must be done by hand, slowly and deliberately, although the result is a wine that is extremely fine and rich. The work is harder, but the attention to the relationship between the Lamole soil, plants, weather, and ancient practices is worth it. As it always has been, and always will be. 

Find Le Masse De Lamoli HERE