Siepi 2020 Release on 14th September

We are pleased to announce that Siepi 2020 will be officially released and available to order on 14th September.

Following the great success of 2019 last year we are pleased that for this year we have a larger allocation of 2020 vintage for the UK market. The wine has already received excellent reviews from James Suckling, Vinous and Wine Advocate.

Please contact your Sales Manager or the Brand Manager Valeria Maffeis on valeria.maffeis@mmdltd.co.uk as soon as possible to request your allocation so that we can reserve the stock for you.

Vintage 2020

The winter of 2020 was cold with moderate rainfall. After a cool spring with adequate, well-spaced showers, the wide diurnal temperature range over the long hot summer was sufficient to ensure a perfect ripening of the grapes. The process was also helped by rains in June and September which reduced water stress, and by an absence
of pests or disease. A few cold nights in early April brought to a slightly lower yield, having affected bud burst in areas where this took place early, but the season was overall characterised by average temperatures and well-spaced rainfall gave rise to a highly satisfying harvest of top-quality grapes. With their thick skins and well-ripened phenols, these grapes will produce wines which combine fullness and structure with balance and freshness.

James Suckling 98 points

Graphite and lead pencil is coming through, together with violets and blackberries. Some tar and asphalt, too. Full-bodied, yet creamy and crunchy, with agile liveliness that goes on for minutes. Fabulous length. Drinkable already, but will age gracefully for decades.

Decanter 98 points

Dried herbs and sweet spices on the nose, forest notes with bramble fruits, concentrated and expressive. Such a smooth delivery on the palate, tannins glide across the tongue giving the sweet strawberry. raspberry and plum fruit time to expand in the mouth as the acidity gives a mouthwatering aspect. This is very much on the lively and vibrant fruit – shouting loudly about its energy. Feels extremely well made clear definition, finesse and balance. Such a gorgeous fruit profile, the high-toned strawberry and cherry, bright and piercing, yet also round and generous with tobacco and wood nuances. Ample tannins are tine but present, giving support. All round an exceptionally beautiful wine. I love this. Giving such immediate and youthful enjoyment but this will continue to agewell.Ageing18 months in French oak barrels (70%new), barriques (Merlot), tonneaux (Sangiovese). followed by four months in concrete tanks. Drinking window: 2023 – 2045

Jane Anson 96 points

So juicy, with so much tension and elegance. I just love the part that Sangiovese plays in this wine, capturing signature flavours and character from the site, adding nuance to the tar, liqourice, sage, rosemary, Chinese spice, savoury red fruits. The 2019 vintage of this wine was stunning, but you are not going to go far wrong with the 2020. The Mazzei family, in the wine business since 1435, and as with so many Italian wines this is just so effortlessly food-friendly, you are practically picking up the phone to invite friends over as you finish the first glass. Gionata Pulignani winemaker, 14 days maceration for Merlot, 18 days for Sangiovese, 70% new oak (with a slightly shorter ageing for Sangiovese), then kept in bottle for 4 months before release. Drinking Window 2023 – 2040

Vinous 96 points

The 2020 Siepi is classy, elegant and super-polished. Inky blue fruit, lavender, new leather, cloves and mocha all meld together effortlessly. There is a sense of precision in the 2020 that is incredibly inviting. Even so, the 2020 is very young and not fully expressing its potential. This just needs time to emerge, but all the elements are there. Drinking Window 2026 – 2040

Wine Advocate 95 points

Equal parts Merlot and Sangiovese, the Mazzei 2020 Siepi is a terrific vintage in a long line of wines that I had the pleasure of tasting through last year in a complete retrospective. The first vintage produced was 1992. The soils in the Siepi vineyard are especially deep, and the site is surrounded by forests to keep it cool. These conditions give rise to abundant aromas of sweet black cherry, underbrush and blue wild flower. This is a medium to full-bodied Tuscan red that shows enormous elegance and depth. Drinking Window 2023 – 2040