La Place de Bordeaux Autumn Offers: 2021 Siepi (98 pts, JS) £440 per six
Released onto the Bordeaux Place this morning, 2021 Siepi comes from one of the most historic family estates in Tuscany. The Mazzei family are closely linked with the history of Chianti itself, as their ancestor, Ser Lapo Mazzei, was the first person to use the term 'Chianti wine' in a legal document in 1398. Despite a mind-boggling six centuries as custodians of the Castello di Fonterutoli and producers of Chianti, the Mazzei's were innovative enough to introduce a 'Super Tuscan' Merlot-Sangiovese blend in the 1980s, labelled as a humble IGT and named after a single 6 hectare vineyard, with a unique terroir: 'Siepi'.
The Siepi vineyard is one of the oldest recorded vineyards in Italy, first mentioned in 1435! This remote site is south-south-west-facing, at 220–310 m. The terroir of 'Alberese' limestone marl and Pliocene-era clay lie over deep bedrock. Crucially, this bedrock stores underground moisture, allowing the deep-rooting vines to access it in hot, dry summers. The wine is aged in French oak for 18 months before further ageing in bottle.
The 2021 receives a glowing review from Jane Anson, who finds it approachable as well as impressive: "Immediately arresting, in that gorgeous Siepi way where the aromatics hug you and draw you straight into the glass." We think this will be at its best in around 5 years from now and it will cellar well for several decades after that.
Offered en primeur, available spring 2024.
