2005 Siepi

Even heavier bottle than the 2004: 1,521 g when full. Alcohol: 14.3%. Total acidity: 6.4 g/l. Quite a damp summer but with good diurnal temperature variation. Harvest: hand-picked starting from 8 September (Merlot), 21 September (Sangiovese). Fermentation temperature: 28–30 °C. Period of maceration: 14 days (Merlot), 16 days (Sangiovese). Ageing: 16–18 months in small French oak barrels (225 litre, 70% new). Bottling: July 2007. Production: 30,000 bottles. Deep dark crimson. Much fresher than the 2004! Ripe but with real drive too. Great expression of Tuscan Sangiovese with the plumpness of Merlot but not dominated by it. This should go beautifully with our Toulouse sausages and merguez tonight. (JR)

A blend of 50/50 Sangiovese and Merlot. According to export manager Giovanni Mazzei (the Mazzei family have owned this estate for almost six centuries), this was an excellent vintage, often overshadowed by 2004 and 2006, and it was slightly cooler. Still very deeply coloured, with definite aromas of undergrowth on the nose and a touch of spice, and almost bordeaux-like on the palate but with greater savoury richness. Delicate freshness and still some dark fruit in evidence. Savoury and elegant in texture with the freshness of a cooler vintage. I was surprised at how well this went with a salad of goat's cheese with walnuts, which made the texture more silky. In the glass the wine became a little more leathery with a light coffee aroma but remained deeply flavoured and elegant. (JH)

The estate's 2005 Siepi, equal parts Sangiovese and Merlot, spent 18 months in French oak. It is clearly the product of a less than stellar vintage but with air it gains remarkable harmony as some of the rough edges that are present at the outset seem to soften. Sweet dark fruit, new leather, spices, earthiness and licorice nuance emerge as this full-bodied, intense wine comes together in the glass. The 2005 is a smaller-scaled version of this wine, but it is an excellent and attractive wine nonetheless.