97pts Vinous

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.

97pts James Suckling

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.

96pts Wine Advocate

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. (ML)

95pts Decanter

There is a sweetness here that is enveloping and seductive with baked earth undertones set against raspberry, plum, black cherry and sandalwood. Soft and caressing tannins, where the grace and aromatic power of Sangiovese is given a satiny texture and enveloping mouthfeel by the Merlot. A brilliant wine that has an identity and a sense of place. First vintage 1992. Located in Chianti Classico, the estate has a 600ha forest that practices sustainable agro-forestry and is more than carbon neutral, in fact having a positive carbon balance where the estate absorbs five times as much CO2 as it emits. 70% new oak. 

Winemaker Notes

A sophisticated, well-structured wine with an intriguing mélange of elder, plum, darkberries, sandalwood and tobacco, and a finish of elegance and length.
Pairs well with rich, textured dishes including game meats, hearty vegetables and dark sauces.

Blend: 50% Sangiovese, 50% Merlot

Winery Description

For 26 generations, the Mazzei family has been producing benchmark Italian wines from their historic Castello di Fonterutoli estate in Tuscany and more recently in the Maremma, Sicily and the Veneto. The passion, commitment and expertise that goes into these expressive wines is a reflection of the Mazzei’s spirit of innovation and respect for each property’s unique terroir.

Since the 1400’s the Mazzei’s have been producing wine; making it one of the oldest running Italian companies - of any kind! Their ancestry is closely woven not only into Tuscany’s winemaking history, but as well as to this venerated region’s political and cultural past. The notable merchant, Ser Lapo Mazzei, is credited for authoring the first official document mentioning “Chianti wine” (December 16, 1398). Years later, Philip Mazzei, winemaker, political thinker and friend of Thomas Jefferson, is credited for influencing another historic document, whose philosophical writings on equality of man served as inspiration for the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

Four beautiful properties make up the Mazzei portfolio. Castello di Fonterutoli in historic Chianti Classico, Tuscany remains the historic home of Mazzei. An enthusiasm for discovery has led to the purchase of Belguardo in the Maremma, which borders the Tuscan coast and Zisola in Noto, Sicily. Giovanni Mazzei has recently taken over his family’s estate, Villa Marcello, in the Veneto, For six generations the Mazzei property at Castello di Fonterutoli has been family-owned and operated; which is also the case since the establishment of Belguardo, Zisola and Villa Marcello. Lapo Mazzei manages as Chairman, along with his sons Filippo and Francesco, both CEOs. The newest generation, Giovanni Mazzei, represents the 26th generation, poised to continue in the family’s footsteps of producing innovative and expressive wines from Central Tuscany, the Maremma, Sicily and the Veneto.