2021 Mazzei Castello di Fonterutoli Siepi Toscana

Castello di Fonterutoli’s Siepi might be the ultimate under-the-radar collectible in the Super Tuscan category. The 2021, with its 98-point score from James Suckling, rivals icons like Ornellaia (99pts, $284), Sassicaia (98pts, $306), even Masseto (98pts, $899)! 

This wine is the perfect combination of brains and brawn, structure and plushness. It’s got aromas of fresh elderberry, dark plums, sandalwood, tobacco, roasted game, blueberry, and sweet vanilla. On the palate, it’s bold and full-bodied, showing why Super Tuscans have taken their hallowed place in the wine world: It’s balanced and beautifully tense, so immediate and savory.

First produced in 1992, Siepi is now the Mazzei family’s flagship, and we were fortunate to sip this 2021 from the barrel when we visited with them in Tuscany in late 2022. Even then, we could feel this wine’s potential. It comes from a single hilltop vineyard near the castle, in the southernmost reaches of the Chianti Classico region. While the vines of the Siepi farm cover a large area, two small parcels lend this wine its energy and weight. 

The lush Merlot in the blend brings a frank ripeness and softness. That marries perfectly with the lively Sangiovese, which brings acidity and backbone. The Sangiovese hangs longer on the vine, allowing the sugars to develop and better harmonize with the more luscious Merlot. It also undergoes a longer maceration, lending more power and extraction from the skins. The assemblage is aged in mostly new French oak barrels, giving the wine added tannin structure and deepening the spicy, sensual appeal. 

This wine is drinking nicely now, but it will truly shine with a decade or more of age. Enjoy watching it develop over the years!

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

• ABV 14.60%
• 1.5 hours
• Now – 2040
• 50% Merlot50% Sangiovese
• Serving temperature – 60°
• Cork