1998 Siepi
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Tasting notes
The Mazzei 1998 Siepi (a blend of equal parts Merlot and Sangiovese) takes a little while to open and come into view. Once it does, the wine shows distinct elegance and grace obtained by the classic nature of the vintage and a successful aging trajectory. The wine moves smoothly over the palate, imparting dark fruit, spice and dried lavender flower as it does. The Mazzei family discovered an ancient family document that traces the existence of Siepi as a special growing site all the way back to the year 1461.
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Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Full bottle 1,194 g. Alcohol: 13.9%. Total acidity: 5.5 g/l. Particularly wet spring and a very hot, dry summer with irregular ripening until September. Harvest: hand-picked starting from 7 September (Merlot), 27 September (Sangiovese). Fermentation temperature: 30–32 °C. Period of maceration: 19 days (Merlot), 18 days (Sangiovese). Ageing: 16 months in small (225-litre) French oak barrels. Bottling: May 2000. Production: 26,000 bottles. Blackish garnet. Intensely aromatic with the balsam note predominant. The nose is glorious but the tannins are still a bit intrusive on the palate, as though they will never be completely resolved. I wonder whether vine shutdown in high summer affected the ripening process? There is probably no great hurry to drink this, but I can't see it getting much better. Drying finish. (JR)
50% Merlot, 50% Sangiovese. Light nose. Lots of acid. Quite angular but very, very fresh! Racy and charming. Great for now. A mirror image of the lush 1997. May well be a better drink over the long term. Ballerina. (JR)
Blackish garnet, very deep and dark. Very sweet, penetrating aromas of chocolate and toasted coffee. Voluminous on the palate; round and supple in texture, but with no lack of tannic support. Not as massive and sumptuous as the superlative 1997 but, considered on its own, very strong indeed. Very long on the finish.