2016 Mazzei Family Siepi
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Tasting notes
This was an iconic vintage, and the superiority of the 2016 growing season, with lots of sunshine and cool summer nights, shows. A blend of equal parts Merlot and Sangiovese, the Mazzei 2016 Siepi is profound, vibrant, nuanced and lifted. The Merlot plays an important role in grounding the wine, adding both texture and volume. However, the Sangiovese is almost more important in my opinion, especially in this sample. The bouquet is fresh and lively with plenty of wild cherry, rose, crushed stone, lilac and lavender. One of the big changes made in 2016 is the introduction of a four-month finishing period in concrete tanks. This wine is showing beautifully now, but it has many more years to give. Production was 35,000 bottles.
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Full bottle 1,518 g. Alcohol: 14.56%. Total acidity: 6.15 g/l. Warm but not hot summer followed by a period of useful diurnal temperature variation. Harvest: hand-picked starting 10 September (Merlot), 27 September (Sangiovese). Fermentation temperature: 26–28 °C. Period of maceration: 14 days (Merlot), 18 days (Sangiovese). Ageing: 18 months in small French oak barriques (Merlot), tonneaux (Sangiovese), both 70% new. Then, an innovation, four months in concrete tanks. Bottling: July 2018. Production: 35,000 bottles. Transparent crimson. Very luscious and ripe but contained in Sangiovese freshness which completely dominates the richness of Merlot. Really tangy and appetising. Great balance and a great tribute to the vintage. Perfect balance. (JR)
The 2016 Siepi, the estate's Sangiovese/Merlot blend, is a big, rich wine. In 2016, the Merlot is especially prominent. Black cherry jam, torrefaction, spice, leather, menthol and new French oak are all pushed forward. Time in the glass brings out a good bit of aromatic freshness to balance things out. Readers should expect a potent, seriously concentrated wine.