Sangiovese 50% and Merlot 50%
his estate in Chianti Classico has been owned by the Mazzei family (and company) since 1435. It makes a range of classic regional wines, primarily from Sangiovese. This includes Siepi, a Super Tuscan blend of Merlot and Sangiovese falling under the IGT Toscana designation, and several Chianti Classico wines. The estate lies just north of Siena (and the hamlet of Fonterutoli has views of the city), in the heart of Chianti, covering 650 hectares (1606 acres) of land. There are five vineyards on the estate, all with very different terroirs.
Mazzei 2012 Siepi, which saw about 14,000 bottles produced because of lower yields and more stringent fruit selection during harvest. This wine shows a distinctive and elegant bouquet with balsam herb and rosemary beyond dark fruit and dried plum. The palate offers oak extract, coconut, toast, chocolate, fleshy plum and blackberries alongside velvety tannins. It’s still resting heavily on its oak so give it a few years to integrate.
ROBERT PARKER – 92POINTS