MAZZEI | Philip | Toscana | 2021
cabernet sauvignon

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The Mazzei winery carries an illustrious winemaking tradition spanning an astonishing 25 generations, dating back to the year 1435. It was Philip Mazzei who made the Mazzei name famous in the 1700s, when he left Tuscany for America. There, he played a pivotal role in the development of viticulture in Virginia and across the new world, becoming a close friend of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States. Fascinatingly, John F. Kennedy, in his book ‘A Nation of Immigrants’, noted that the great doctrine ‘All men are created equal’, incorporated into the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson, was paraphrased from the writings of Philip Mazzei, highlighting his profound influence on american history.
Today we are going to review a single varietal cabernet sauvignon wine and a exceptional Super Tuscan from Italy‘s most celebrated wine region, the mighty Tuscany – Philip Toscana 2021 by Mazzei. Cabernet Sauvignon is the world’s most recognized grape variety that can be found all over the world in a wide range of climates and regions. Originating in Bordeaux as a natural cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, it has spread to every wine-producing area, adapting to an extraordinary range of climates, producing wines of remarkable structure and longevity. Cabernet Sauvignon is also a late ripening grape variety, which means that it is best suited for warm climates, where it is capable to produce wines that can reach into realms of perfection, where they are rarely followed. It serves as the backbone of the famous Bordeaux blends, while also offering some of the world’s finest single-varietal wines, especially popular in regions such as Napa Valley, Coonawarra, Margaret River, Maipo Valley, Stellenbosch, and Bolgheri. Powerful yet refined, Cabernet Sauvignon has earned its reputation as the undisputed king of noble red grape varieties.This extraordinary wine is dedicated to Philip Mazzei (1730-1816) – an illustrious ancestor of the Mazzei family, political thinker, and a pioneer of viticulture in Virginia alongside Thomas Jefferson. Made entirely of cabernet sauvignon grapes sourced from two distinct estates: Fonterutoli in Chianti Classico and Belguardo in Maremma, this wine represents Toscana at is finest. The 2021 vintage was characterized by a cold winter with little precipitation, followed by an initially cool spring with adequate rainfall. A long, hot summer, mitigated by beneficial diurnal temperature variations, ensured excellent and complete phenolic ripeness in the grapes. Despite an initial delayed development of the vines, the season progressed beautifully, culminating in an extremely rewarding harvest, yielding grapes of excellent quality and health that promised rich, well-structured wines with thick yet fresh and well-balanced skins. The winemaking process involved an extended period of skin-contact maceration (13 days for Fonterutoli and 15 days for Belguardo grapes), allowing for maximum extraction of color and flavor. The final wine was then aged for 18 months in a combination of 225L french and american oak barrels (from which 30% new oak), with at least six more months of bottle aging before the wine was deemed ready for the market release.

The Toscana region has long boasted an impressive reputation in the world of great wines, earning its prestige as one of the most promising and creative production areas in the world of wine as a result of a number of forward-thinking producers that experimented with international grape varieties modern winemaking techniques. It is home to some of the world’s most famous wines known as ‘Super Tuscan‘.

Super Tuscan wines emerged in the late 1960s, when a handful of pioneering winemakers in the region rebelled against the restrictive rules of traditional italian appellations. By blending Sangiovese with international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, and by adopting modern barrel aging techniques, they created bold, innovative wines that quickly gained global acclaim. These ‘rule-breaking’ wines became known as Super Tuscans.
color: deep & opaque ruby color
clarity: hazy & vibrant ruby hues

In the glass, the wine presents a deep and opaque ruby color that speaks to its concentration and intensity. Towards the rim of the glass, it reveals hazy yet vibrant ruby shades, hinting at its youthful energy while promising underlying complexity and evolution.

intensity: rich & savory-vibrant
fruit character: ripe & rich

On the nose, this wine is rich and complex, unfolding with a pronounced savory accent. A vibrant foreground of dark fruits emerges, with notes of bitter cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant, and black plum, hinting at perfect ripeness. This vibrant fruity core is beautifully intertwined with savory-rustic touches, evoking aromas of barnyard, old leather, musk, game, brown olive, and subtle hints of iron and iodine, speaking about the wine’s terroir-driven character. As the wine breathes, elegant background notes of spice and oak reveal themselves, with hints of peppercorn, anise, cloves, and nutmeg. An appealing earthy layer is hidden underneath, with touches of pencil lead, dust, and crushed granite, further complemented by sophisticated hints of truffle and violets, adding to the wine’s multi-layered aromatic tapestry and showcasing a delightful interplay of primary fruit, secondary winemaking, and hints of developing tertiary notes.

sweetness: dry | acidity: high | alcohol: med+ | tannin: high | balance: good
finish: lasting | aftertaste: crisp & grippy

On the palate, the wine presents a crisp and grippy mouthfeel, embodying a well balanced dry character. A bright acidity provides lift and freshness, perfectly balancing the well-integrated touch of alcoholic warmth that adds structure without overwhelming the senses. The tannins are ripe and pleasantly-seedy, coating the mouth with a fine-grained, appealingly-astringent texture. This is a round and firm wine that maintains remarkable finesse, reflecting a harmonious blend of new world nuance and old world delicateness. The pronounced savory-rustic accent, so evident on the nose, carries through consistently onto the palate, providing a compelling flavor profile that culminates in a long, persistent, crisp and grippy aftertaste. The almost untraceable use of oak ensures that the true varietal identity and terroir authenticity of this Cabernet Sauvignon shine through.

maturity: developing | needs time to evolve | drink now or in the next 3 to 5 years
verdict: great | a benchmark wine | a wine that has all the traits to become legendary

Overall, this is the epitome of a Toscana-bred Cabernet Sauvignon wine – a tribute to viticulture itself. It masterfully delivers the vibrancy of fruit harmoniously intertwined with the rustic, authentic touch of Toscana’s terroir. This is a well-structured, complex, and delicate Cabernet Sauvignon wine, showcasing a ripe fruit profile that prioritizes varietal expression and terroir authenticity over sheer opulence or overwhelming depth. The wine showcases an almost untraceable use of oak, ensuring that the focus remains firmly on its varietal identity and the unique characteristics of its place of origin. Firm, voluptuous, and harmonious, this is one of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon wines we have tasted so far – a wine that seamlessly blends power with elegance. It stands as a textbook example of a single varietal Cabernet Sauvignon from Toscana, embodying the spirit of a true Super Tuscan. While undeniably appealing today with decanting, this wine is still developing, displaying great aging potential. We would recommend cellaring it for at least another 3 to 5 years to allow its intricate layers to fully unfold, promising even greater complexity and sophistication with each years spent in the bottle.

Given its robust structure, grippy tannins, and pronounced savory-rustic character, the wine calls for a dish that can stand up to its intensity while complementing its savory character. A classic complementary pairing would be a slow-roasted wild boar ragu served over handmade pappardelle. The gamey notes and rich, savory depth of the wild boar will resonate beautifully with the wine’s own rustic and savory accents, while the wine’s vibrant acidity will cut through the richness of the dish. Alternatively, for a more elegant pairing, consider a traditional bistecca alla fiorentina – a thick-cut, rare T-bone steak grilled over coals and simply seasoned. The char, fat, and umami notes of the steak will be complemented by the wine’s savory undertones, creating a quintessentially Tuscan tasting experience. Cent’anni!
MAZZEI | Philip | Toscana | 2021
variety: cabernet sauvignon
country: Italy
region: Toscana
rating: 95.0

Philip Mazzei was born on December 25, 1730, in Poggio a Caiano, near Florence. A true polymath, he was a physician, merchant, horticulturalist, viticulturalist, pamphleteer, political activist, linguist, diplomatic agent, historian, and royal adviser. He forged close relationships with American Founding Fathers such as Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, and particularly Thomas Jefferson. It was Mazzei who, in 1773, with the permission of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, set sail for Virginia with vines, olive trees, and ten vignerons to establish the first european vineyards in the region on his property, Colle, near Jefferson’s Monticello. Fascinatingly, John F. Kennedy, in his book ‘A Nation of Immigrants’, noted that the great doctrine ‘All men are created equal’, incorporated into the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson, was paraphrased from the writings of Philip Mazzei, highlighting his profound influence on american history.

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