Mazzei Siepi 2021 (750ML)

98 JS / 97 DE / 96+ VM / 96+ WA / 96 JA / 95 WI

#41 James Suckling's Top 100 Italian Wines of 2023

An opulent yet tensioned young red with blackberries, violets and black olive skin character. Full-bodied. But has so much energy and focus. Goes on for minutes. A blend of merlot and sangiovese. Best after 2028. - James Suckling

Intense blackcurrant on the nose, baked and ripe, so expressive and inviting with small hints of liquorice and tar. Supple, generous, juicy and bright, this 50/50 Sangiovese-Merlot is so well worked and harmonious - rich, wide and full in the mouth, it courses with life and energy and such underlying power. You can feel the intensity and sculpting on show, this is no wall flower of a wine but it's presented so neatly and beautifully. I love the tannins, massy but controlled and perfectly countering the fresh and ripe red and black fruit with black pepper, tar, tobacco and bitter orange as well as soft floral edges. The brightness superbly matches the depth and complexity delivering a nuanced glass of wine with so much to say. I love the tannins and the sense of direction and confidence. Still in it's brooding, show-off, youthful phase with plenty of heat and spice, but this is a beauty. From the six-hectare estate owned by the Mazzei family since 1435. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

This top-shelf wine from Mazzei is a blend of 50-50 Merlot and Sangiovese. The Sangiovese goes into tonneaux and the Merlot ages in 70% new barrique for 18 months. The 2021 Siepi (in a heavy glass bottle) opens to sweet fruit nuances of cooked cherry, blackberry preserves, cinnamon and nutmeg. This full-bodied wine is supple and very soft in terms of mouthfeel, and its flavor profile is expansive and all-encompassing. This wine is balanced and seamless, and the 2021 vintage is certainly one of the best editions of Siepi we've seen so far. This exciting 30,000-bottle production will go to market in September 2023.-Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate

The 2021 Siepi is impressive. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol and mocha are nicely dialed up. This plush, succulent Sangiovese/Merlot blend is quite the charmer, as it so often is. The 2021 is exceptionally elegant and polished, certainly one of the best editions in recent memory. All that said, my view is that Siepi would benefit from longer aging in wood and or glass, as it is released too early for a wine of its stature and potential. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Immediately arresting, in that gorgeous Siepi way where the aromatics hug you and draw you straight into the glass. Love the dark pepper spices, well balanced by tobacco, rose petals, raspberry and greengage plum, sweet spices and fresh orange-peel acidities. Beautiful vintage of this wine, totally moreish and great quality. 70% new oak in barrels of various sizes, 225l for the Merlot and larger oak casks for the Sangiovese. Plenty of room for ageing this. Mazzei family, 6ha estate. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

The 2021 Siepi, 50% Sangiovese and 50% Merlot, is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It requires a little swirling to unlock bright, pure notes of black cherries, redcurrant jelly, and fragrant soil, followed by hints of black olives, cedar, and Sichuan pepper. The medium to full-bodied palate is packed with taut, muscular red and black fruit layers, framed by chewy tannins and a lively backbone, finishing long and minerally. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent