2012 Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot. First vintage with Petit Verdot, and the first vintage in which Luca D’Attoma consulted throughout. The beginning of 2012 was characterised by limited water reserves. In January and February, the rains returned to normal levels. Spring was mild and quite rainy and the summer, very hot and dry. The grapes were healthy with thick skins, rich in polyphenols, which yielded wines of great structure. Harvest between the first week of September and the first week of October. 30,000 bottles produced. Mid juicy fruit on the nose. Still youthful with punchy fruit and still quite dry tannins but with inky fruit and balanced acidity. Rather sinewy as opposed to dominated by ripe fruit. Drying finish at the moment with tarmacadam notes. (JR)

Mid ruby with orange tinges. Cool, spicy cherry nose with a hint of candied fruit. Fine powdery tannins and full, concentrated fruit on the palate without being heavy. Tobacco leaf hints at the fact that it is already developing, yet it has freshness as well as grip. (WS)

The 2012 Saffredi captures all the potential I sensed last year. Fresh, vibrant and beautifully delineated in the glass, the 2012 speaks to balance above all else. All the elements meld together effortlessly. The flavors are bold, dark and incisive, while attractive floral and spice notes add an attractive upper register. Still very primary, the 2012 naturally needs time in bottle to fully come together. A final black of red-fleshed stone fruits leaves a positive impression. The 2012 spent 22 months in French oak, 70% new.