“Saffredi” Rosso Toscana IGT 2023 · 6 bottles in OWC

Fattoria Le Pupille | Tuscany
Az. Agr. Fattoria Le Pupille | Piagge Del Maiano 92 A | IT 58100 Grosseto

09232823 · 4,5 l · 134,22 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping8 units available

There are wines that define a region. Saffredi is one of them. In 1987, when Elisabetta Geppetti – just in her mid-twenties and with the vision of helping the sleepy Maremma region achieve world fame – created this wine together with the legendary Giacomo Tachis, nobody could have guessed that a Supertuscan was born here that would rival Sassicaia and Tignanello. The name is a loving tribute to Fredi, Elisabetta's father-in-law Alfredo Gentili, who sparked her passion for wine and planted the five-hectare vineyard in the 1980s from which the grapes for Saffredi are still sourced today. The single vineyard Saffredi near Pereta lies at an altitude of 250 metres, south-west for the old vines and south-east for the newer plantings. The soil is the result of millions of years of geological history: Sandstone origin, rich in limestone marl and iron minerals, poor in organic matter, with clay layers only from a depth of 30 centimetres. On a clear day, the view from here sweeps over the hills to the Mediterranean 25 kilometres away – a proximity to the coast that gives the wine its special freshness and tension.

Saffredi 2023 combines Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (35%) and Petit Verdot (5%) in an assemblage of precise elegance. Maceration lasts 30 to 45 days at a controlled cool 26 degrees before the wine matures for 18 months in French barriques – 70 per cent in new barrels, which are made to measure for the winery. The coopers travel in person, taste the wine together with Ettore Geppetti, Elisabetta's son, and determine a minimal toasting, which must never dominate. After a further six months of ageing in the bottle, the Saffredi is ready to enchant its audience.

Deep ruby red in the glass with purple reflections. The nose is majestically elegant: intense black cherry, blackcurrant, blackberries and blueberries, enveloped in mint, creamy vanilla, sandalwood and lavender. Graphite and pencil tip, a hint of tobacco and cigar box, delicate herbs, roasted precious wood – an aromatic firework display that breathes Pauillac class. Full-bodied power unfolds on the palate with fine-grained, polished tannins of silky texture. The fruit is deep and multi-layered, supported by a precise structure and the dark, dense minerality that comes from the fossilised soils of the Maremma. The finish is linear, energetic, with an incessant drive – a wine that lingers for minutes and beguiles when young, but can mature for a decade or more. A wine that proves why Elisabetta Geppetti has gone down in the history of Tuscan wine culture as the "Lady of Morellino" – and why the Saffredi remains an event not to be missed year after year ... SUPERIORE.DE

"A racy and concentrated wine with flavours of blackcurrants, blackberries, fresh rosemary, sage, thyme and lavender. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and a crisp finish. Shows excellent length." James Suckling

"A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, the Fattoria Le Pupille 2023 Saffredi represents a classic expression from a fresh vintage that ultimately performed far better than expected despite mid-season mildew pressure. The estate continues to refine its use of wood to emphasize brightness and fruit purity, a shift that is especially evident here. The wine shows notes of dark cherry, ripe blackberry, spice and hints of creamy chocolate. While the 2022 vintage emphasized harder tannins, this vintage is defined by generosity and luscious fruit. The Cabernet Sauvignon in particular appears crunchy, youthful and fresh, giving the wine energy and forward momentum." Wine Advocate