Mazzei In Chianti Classico, A Family Winery With 600 Years Of History But Still Creative

The Mazzei household owns Castello di Fonterutoli in Chianti Classico since 1435. The identical household has owned it for nearly 600 years. You can’t assist being impressed. We just lately spoke with Giovanni Mazzei about their new wines and new vintages. Collectively we tasted Chianti Classico but in addition wines from Maremma, the Tuscany coastal area, and Sicily. As a result of, regardless of being the 25^th technology, which I suppose can really feel like an enormous accountability, the present relations aren’t afraid to supply new kinds of wines.

Possibly their inspiration comes from Philip Mazzei, an illustrious member of the household, born in 1730. Philip met Thomas Jefferson in London. They mentioned the artwork of creating wine and have become buddies. In 1773, Philip went to Virginia to plant vines. He arrived there with vines, olive timber and farmers from Tuscany and based an property he referred to as Colle, close to Jefferson’s property of Monticello.

Mazzei now produces a wine referred to as “Philip” in his honour. With 100 % Cabernet Sauvignon the wine, says the household, “embodies the ‘New World’ spirit of Tuscan wine-making”.

The household’s oldest vineyards are positioned within the three neighbouring Chianti Classico villages of Castellina in Chianti, Castelnuovo Berardenga and Radda in Chianti.

Beginning with the classic 2017, the Mazzei household determined to make three completely different Chianti Classico Gran Selezione to point out the particular characters from these three villages. The wines are 100% Sangiovese. The Gran Selezione class was launched in 2014. The foundations state that it will need to have not less than 30 months of ageing and be made solely from the property’s personal grapes.

Vicoregio 36, 2017, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, Mazzei

The grapes come from the village of Castelnuovo. That is the southernmost and warmest a part of the household’s Chianti Classico vineyards. The quantity 36 within the title refers to the truth that this can be a choice of 36 completely different clones of Sangiovese (this can be a grape with an unusually giant variety of clones). All of them ferment individually in small oak barrels. “We do 36 small micro-vinifications, an enormous job, nevertheless it’s price it,” says Giovanni.

There’s loads of texture on this wine, additionally magnificence and deliciously contemporary acidity. There are tannins as effectively, simply the correct quantity. I really feel comfortable vanilla aromas from the oak within the lengthy and savoury end. (~70 USD)

Badiòla 2017, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, Mazzei

The grapes come from Radda in Chianti, and the vineyards have one of many highest altitudes within the Chianti Classico. The local weather is cooler, and the harvest is later, often round mid-October. “That is an excessive location”, says Giovanni. “The soil is rocky and really modest in vitamins.”

The wine is excellent with numerous fruit and darkish berries, some oak and contemporary, excessive acidity. Truly, this beautiful freshness is present in a lot of the Mazzei wines. (~70 USD)

Castello Fonterutoli 2017, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, Mazzei

The vineyards of Fonterutoli are positioned in Castellina in Chianti, not so distant from the attractive city of Siena. Right here the construction is dense, however the wine continues to be elegant and light-weight in fashion. I just like the refreshing fruit and the colourful acidity. (~60 USD)

For extra on a regular basis pleasure, Mazzei additionally makes a “common” Chianti Classico:

Fonterutoli 2018, Chianti Classico, Mazzei

“That is our signature, our DNA, the guts of Fonterutoli,” says Giovanni. “We mix grapes from eight completely different locations, with various kinds of soil and altitude. We will select the perfect mix and get good outcomes yearly, even the marginally harder years, which is one motive why it’s so profitable. The cool September in 2018 gave us elegant, silky tannins and an additional layer of floral aromas, lavender, roses…” (~19 USD)

Siepi 2018, Toscana IGP, Mazzei

Siepi is a winery in Castellina with a particular microclimate with important temperature variations between day and night time through the summer time. The grapes are 50% Merlot, 50% Sangiovese. ”We thought that Merlot might develop very effectively at Siepi”, says Giovanni. “That is the mix of my grandfather. There was a struggle over percentages, however on the finish of the day, they determined for equal proportions; the perfect determination, no grape is dominant.”

Siepi is a robust wine however nonetheless elegant with an extended, intense style and a nice freshness. There are aromas of pink berries comparable to cherries and strawberries from Sangiovese, however I additionally discover darkish fruit from the Merlot. (~80 USD)

Maremma by the Tuscan coast was comparatively unknown earlier than Sassicaia, and the opposite Tremendous Tuscans turned world-famous. Within the Nineties, the Mazzei household purchased Tenuta Belguardo within the southern a part of the area. Bordeaux grapes thrive right here, and that was an enormous attraction. “Bordeaux blends are a few of the world’s nice wines,” says Giovanni.

Tenuta Belguardo 2017, Maremma Toscana DOC, Mazzei

The grapes are 85% cabernet sauvignon and 15% cabernet franc. The wine is spicy, peppery with numerous darkish berries. It has a dense construction, and it’s full-bodied and sophisticated. Lengthy, savoury end and well-integrated oak. (~45 USD)

Codice V 2019, Vermentino Maremma Toscana DOC, Mazzei

Codice V is among the high Vermentino wines from Italy. It’s an thrilling pores and skin macerated white wine. “Vermentino is quite a lot of the Mediterranean”, says Giovanni. “The clones we use are initially from Corsica.”

50 % of the grapes ferment with the skins and keep involved with the skins for 9 months, partly in amphora and partly in metal tanks. The wine has an enormous construction and a beautiful mouthfeel. It’s full-bodied however on the similar time crispy, contemporary and really dry with numerous citrus fruits within the aromas, a scrumptious and thrilling wine.

“We’re on a mission to discover a strategy to make Vermentino an ideal wine”, Giovanni tells us. “An excellent wine means construction to age, further ranges of complexity, greater tasting profile. With pores and skin maceration we get this, the amphoras give the appropriate stage of oxygen alternate, the additional complexity.” (~30 USD)

The Mazzei household has additionally discovered an appropriate location outdoors of Tuscany. They typically visited Sicily and, in fact, received to know the wine producers there. Amongst them was the well-known Planeta, who inspired them to start out making Sicilian wine. “In 2004, we discovered Zisola,” says Giovanni, “within the southeastern a part of the island, the origin of the Nero d’Avola grape, and a stone’s throw from the attractive baroque metropolis of Noto.”

Doppiozeta Zisola 2017, Noto Rosso DOC, Mazzei

Doppiozeta is Mazzei’s high wine from Sicily, made with Nero d’Avola. The nostril is expressive with comfortable, heat and candy fruit. Ripe fruit and oak aromas come collectively within the style. Surprisingly contemporary.

Giovanni factors out that Sicily isn’t just Etna, and he’s proper. Etna will get all the eye, however Sicily has way more to supply. “The Noto space is the same as Etna,” he says. “We arrived in Sicily with the dream to make an ideal indigenous grape. We love the Nero d’Avola; it’s comfortable and candy and mild but in addition elegant if handled effectively. It can provide an ideal wine. (~40 USD)

The Mazzei household don’t have any plans in the intervening time to put money into different areas. “However”, says Giovanni, “we’ve many plans for the place we’re in the intervening time; we are able to nonetheless make higher wines.”

—Britt Karlsson