2016 Mazzei Castello di Fonterutoli Concerto Toscana

Wine Access members have been loving Mazzei wines since the early days, but that doesn’t mean we’ve got the keys to every corner of the Mazzei kingdom. In fact, one of their flagship bottlings has, for the most part, eluded us: Concerto, the family’s regal, Tignanello-style Super Tuscan.

Concerto, first bottled in 1981, dates back to the early days of the Super Tuscan category. Dominated by Sangiovese and bolstered by Cabernet, it’s one of the benchmark wines in the category—and the 2016 is one of the best ever. “All the best elements of the house style are on display in this sumptuous, modern Tuscan red,” wrote Antonio Galloni in his 95-point Vinous review. “2016 is a terrific vintage for the Concerto. I loved it.”

A Mazzei has been making wine in Tuscany for more than six centuries, but one Mazzei, Philip, played an indispensable role in American history. In 1774, Thomas Jefferson asked Philip, an Italian Renaissance man and friend, to plant a vineyard at his Monticello estate. Mazzei obliged, and Jefferson didn’t just soak up Philip’s ideas about viticulture. In fact, Mazzei’s writings inspired the iconic phrase, “all men are created equal,”which in turn inspired the world when it appeared in the Declaration of Independence.

There are some fantastic Bordeaux-style Italian wines out there, but this is what a true Super Tuscan should be. It showcases Tuscany’s unique Sangiovese, beefed up and deepened by a dose of Cabernet and polished to a supple sheen by small oak. When you take a sip, you can just feel that, when the first adventurous vintners combined the two varieties in French oak barrels, this is exactly what they were going for.

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Acidity
• Tannin

• ABV 14.10%
• 1 hour
• Now – 2035
• 80% Sangiovese20% Cabernet Sauvignon
• Serving temperature – 58°
• Cork