Mazzei Castello di Fonterutoli - Toscana Siepi 2018 (750ml)
Price: $99.00
| Producer | Mazzei Castello di Fonterutoli |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Varietal | Proprietary Red |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Sku | 10117 |
| Size | 750ml |
Vinous: 97 Points
Siepi, Fonterutoli’s Merlot/Sangiovese blend, is absolutely gorgeous in 2018. Rich, pliant and creamy, Siepi offers all of the seductiveness of Merlot with the bright acids and grip of Sangiovese. Inky blue/purplish fruit, lavender, dried herbs, spice, licorice and new leather meld together in an open-knit, inviting Tuscan red with no hard edges and tons of allure shaped by alberese soils with a good bit of clay. The 2018 is an undeniably sexy wine with so much immediacy. Siepi (the wine) is built on a core of holdings from Siepi, a historic property dating back to the 1400s, plus holdings from the broader Fonterutoli estate. Merlot and Sangiovese lots are harvested, vinified and aged separately. The 2018 saw long macerations 20 or more days, followed by 16-17 months in French oak, with a preference for 225L barrels for Merlot and larger 500L tonneaux for the Sangiovese, which also spent a bit less time in oak. The final blend was assembled and then the wine spent 5-6 months in cement, a recent change made for the first time in 2017 that really seems to let the purity of the fruit come out. The 2018 is positively stellar and also one of the very best editions in recent memory. Don’t miss it. -- Antonio Galloni
James Suckling: 97 Points
Extremely perfumed and crystal-clear with violets, plums, raspberries, walnuts and black olives. It’s medium-to full-bodied with very fine tannins that are extremely polished and refined. The length is long and very precise. Chocolate and hazelnuts. This is the 25th anniversary of this fine merlot and sangiovese. Hard not to drink now, but better after 2022.
Wine Advocate: 96 Points
I tasted this wine in a preview capacity a few months back and am coming back now with a final review. The lovely 2018 Siepi, from old vines of Sangiovese and Merlot, comes out roaring. I have long been a fan of this historic wine that so carefully blends the fruity freshness and bright flavors of the Tuscan grape with the soft and succulent background tones of the French counterpart. These two sides achieve elegance and balance in this classic vintage. To the palate, the wine is fleshed out and texturally rich. I'm happily settling on the higher part of the range of scores I had previously published. The wine has come together in seamless fashion with that extra bottle aging. - Monica Larner
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