The Italian wine producer Mazzei has vineyards in Tuscany, in the Maremma coastal region and in Chianti. They also have since some time back vineyards in Sicily. Francesco Mazzei was in Stockholm to present their wines. BKWine’s Anette Zellen Soderstrom met him at the Museum of Modern Art.
The house of Mazzei are heroes. Oh yes, I was told at the table that when the house of Ricasoli wanted to buy back their vineyards / the right to the name they were helped by the Mazzei family.
It was sometime in the early 90’s that the world’s oldest winery regretted the sale that happened a few decades earlier. The families are friends for centuries, and also shared bloodline, and as I understand even exchange a lot of wine experiences and experimentations.
Francesco Mazzei talks proudly about his family. His ancestor Ser Lapo Mazzei started already in the late 1300s. 24 generations later he tells the story of how history has turned them into one of Italy’s most modern wineries.
The house of Mazzei is the second oldest winery in Italy and one of the oldest in the world. Ricasoli is officially the oldest one (in Italy).
What about the wines? What do you do to manage such a legacy?
Francesco tells us that the winery and the wines evolve with the help of new ideas and innovations all the time. They spend a lot of resources on research and development.
The current generation has also acquired two new wineries. The property Belguardo, located in the Maremma in Tuscany, with 70 hectares just a few miles from the coast. The second property, Zisola in Sicily, outside the town of Noto, has 21 hectares.
I tasted wines from all of the estates.
Codice V, 2012
Buttery, fruity aroma with distinct mineral notes. Tropical fruits on the palate with beautiful finish.
A wine to drink now, maybe with a bowl of mushroom soup?
100% vermentino, 13% alcohol. From Maremma, Tuscany
Ca 15 euro.
Serrata Belguardo 2012
A lot of cherries on the nose and chocolate and the palate is just as agreeable. On the palate, cherry, plum and dried fruit. Wonderfully balanced tannins.
80% sangiovese 20 % alicante, 13% alcohol. Maremma, Tuscany
Ca 11 euro.
Tenuta Belguardo 2011
Distinct aromas of blackcurrant but also of tobacco and spices. The taste has berries with obvious tannins that may need a few years in this young wine.
90% cabernet sauvignon, 10% cabernet franc, 14.5% alcohol. Maremma, Toscana
Ca 22 euro.
These first three wines are all grown in the Maremma region, about 10 km from the coast. Warm, windy with clear influences from the sea.
Fonterutoli No. 10, 2011
Dark berries and chocolate on the nose, soft berry tones on the palate, relatively kind tannins. Still somewhat young but very affordable. To drink as it is, or perhaps even better with a bit of charcuterie.
90 % merlot, 10% sangiovese. 13.5 % alcohol. IGT Toscana.
Ca 13 euro.
Fonterutoli 2011
Lovely aromas of liquorice and cherry on the nose and the taste is smooth with clear cherry tones to begin with and then some liquorice and chocolate.
90% sangiovese, 10% malvasia nara, colorino and merlot. 13.5% alcohol. Chianti Classico, Tuscany.
Ca 16 euro.
Ser Lapo Riserva 2011
Distinct aromas of cedar wood, tobacco, leather and cherry. Long finish where the cherry comes first and is followed by liquorice and coffee. Well balanced, drink now or keep for a few years.
90% sangiovese, 10% merlot. 13.5% alcohol. Chianti Classico, Tuscany.
Ca 18 euro.
Castelli di Fonterutoli 2010
In the glass you find a fantastic full-bodied aroma of cherry, leather, tobacco and coffee. Not everything at once, but more like a palette that is growing and growing. The taste is smooth with dark cherries, accompanied by a lovely aftertaste of chocolate and coffee.
36 different clones of sangiovese from 50 locations, up to 500 m altitude.
The wine is classified as a Grand Selection, with very strict rules. (BKWine Magazine has previously written on the new classification Chianti Classico Gran Selezione here.)
92% sangiovese, 8% malvasia and colorino. 14% alcohol. Chianti Classico, Tuscany
Ca 33 euro.
Doppiozeta 2011
Fruity and spicy aroma with mellow flavors of plum, cherry and chocolate, clear barrel character. Drink the happy now and in 5-7 years.
65% nero d’avola, 25% syrah, 10% cabernet franc. 14.5% alcohol. Noto, Sicily
Ca 28 euro.
Siepi 2011
Both on the nose and on the palate: cherry, spice and chocolate. Soft and a long and delightful aftertaste of coffee, chocolate and liquorice. I hope and believe that one can keep this wine a few years, if you can avoid drinking it all at once.
All the grapes from a single vineyard. 50% sangiovese, 50% merlot. 14% alcohol. Toscana IGT
Ca 54 euro.
I found all wines definitely worth trying. However, I had three real favourites: Fonterutoli, Castello di Fonterutoli and Siepi.
The tasting took place at the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm, organized by TheWineAgency, with a stunning view of the waters of Stockholm.
More about Marchesi Mazzei’s wines.
Anette Zellén Soderstrom writes on BKWine Magazine mostly about wine and wine tastings in Stockholm. She is an avid wine taster with a long tasting experience and is currently studying to become a sommelier.
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If you want to discover more of Italy’s wines, the best tip is to travel there. On a trip to Italy, for example, a wine tour to Tuscany’s wine country, or a wine tour to Sicily with BKWine, you will get the opportunity to try many wines, as well as the delicious regional food.
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