10 vintages of Saffredi Le Pupille

A "cross-section" of a wine that is decisive for the history of modern Maremma wine: the Saffredi of the Fattoria Le Pupille.

There have been circumstances in Italy's wine history, apparently fortuitous, that have often determined the destiny of an entire territory. An example of this occurred in Scansano, the capital of Morellino. The area was already known for its grapes, used for blending with wines that had 'noble' pedigrees, but the local wine they produced was unknown to the general public. The reason why it never made it outside of its immediate vicinity may be due to the fact that it never inspired any interest among experts and wine-lovers. Then, towards the mid-1980s, a tornado hit this town and drew critical attention to the whole area. And this tornado had a name: Elisabetta Geppetti, an extremely charming woman who at the time was only in her 20s. Her estate, Fattoria Le Pupille (Pupils, named after the twin hills that hosted the initial six hectares of vineyards), took everyone by storm with a wine that was officially just a 'table wine'. This is a classic, typically Italian, better yet Tuscan, case. In fact, many historic areas in that region rose to fame for wines that did not have any prestigious classification or denomination. 

The wine in question  - that began as 100% Cabernet Sauvignon – is Saffredi, in honor of Fredi, Elisabetta's mentor and father-in-law who previously owned the estate. Called in to help the young winemaker in her project was the recognized genius of Tuscan wines at that time and the father of some of Italy's most famous wines: Giacomo Tachis. The first vintage to be bottled was 1987 and it was an instant success when it reached the market in 1990.

Since then the estate has expanded significantly and today has 75 hectares, while the production of Saffredi has grown from its initial 9,000 bottles to 30,000. Over time the composition of the wine also changed and since 1993 the Cabernet Sauvignon has been blended with varying  percentages of Merlot and Alicante. Not much has changed in regard to the fermentation, except the obvious use of barrels for aging, the percentage of new wood depending on the harvest, while fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled vats.

The hand of the enologist also changed with the arrival of the famous Christian Le Sommer (until 1999 enologist at Chateau Latour) who was responsible for the vintages from 2000 through 2011. Last year his place was taken by Luca D'Attoma, whose 'touch' on Saffredi has yet to be verified.

This vertical tasting focuses on ten vintages starting from 1995.

Saffredi 1995 Maremma Toscana Igt Fattoria Le Pupille 

90/100 - € 80

This has a nice ruby color that holds up well on the edge of the glass. From the aroma it is clear that the usually evident fruit component has given way to more evolved nuances like cinchona, tobacco and a tad of graphite. Although it is very limpid and clean, the bouquet is not as distinct as one would expect. The flavor is very elegant with settled tannins and an accent of sharp acidity that still upholds a nice progression. Towards the end  there are some slightly vegetal tones that recall the grape, while the finish is decidedly persistent.

Saffredi 1998 Maremma Toscana Igt Fattoria Le Pupille  

93/100 - € 85

This one is already different with its beautiful color, dark and profound. The nose is still young with a great complexity that ranges from citron to candied orange to fine, slightly balsamic scents, while the fruit component of currant and blueberry is still evident and very persistent. The taste is quite broad with a marked progression and an excellent extract in the body and tannins that are present but thick and well-integrated. The finish is wonderful with excellent definition and consistency on very captivating, slightly smoky and balsamic notes.

Saffredi 1999 Maremma Toscana Igt Fattoria Le Pupille   

92/100 - € 85

The color is truly lovely, dark, almost black with no concessions. There is an initial, slight reduction in the aroma that disappears after a few swirls in the glass and opens towards the classic scents of small black fruit like currant and blueberry while a hint of spice completes this broad and intense picture. The taste is equally excellent with attention drawn to the quality of the tannins and the great balance between components. The progression of the wine towards the finish is outstanding with refreshing notes of mint and a tad of chocolate.

Saffredi 2000 Maremma Toscana Igt Fattoria Le Pupille  

90/100 - € 85

This was a hot year but the excellent work done in the vineyard and the cellar produced great results. While the color remained a lovely, intense and slightly opaque ruby, the nose is different. The aroma, in fact, plays more on warmer tones with blueberry jam, blackberry and currant up front, while even the woody aspect is greater with scents of vanilla, cinnamon and a touch of roasted coffee. The flavor is very rich, intense, with a nice tannin while the softness is more evident and gives it a taste that is closer to those wines from across the ocean.

Saffredi 2001 Maremma Toscana Igt Fattoria Le Pupille  

94/100 - € 83

A wonderful version of Saffredi. The color is intense, very dark and bright at the same time. The aroma is extremely elegant with very clear scents of citron, graphite and wild blueberries. The mentholated and slightly greenish scent is excellent for style and freshness. There is only a hint of  woody spiciness but it is quite elegant. The taste is rich, intense and very classy with wonderful tannins that are perfectly integrated with the significant extracts. The acidity is excellent and helps uphold the flavor making the finish extremely intense and broad, with rare compactness and persistence. 

Saffredi 2002 Maremma Toscana Igt Fattoria Le Pupille  

89/100 - € 50

This was the first of two consecutive years that were difficult for opposite reasons. The weather in 2002 was decidedly cool with rain right up to harvest. Despite this, however, the wine was excellently made and demonstrated the winery's ability to manage more difficult years. It is hard to find a wine better than this given the year, above all in Tuscany. The aroma is clean, intense, with eucalyptus and slightly greenish scents together with those of red berries and small red fruits, all distinct but not intense. The flavor is nicely articulated and the balance makes it very drinkable, with a nice consistency and finish.

Saffredi 2003 Maremma Toscana Igt Fattoria Le Pupille  

87/100 - € 50

The weather this year was extremely hot and produced a wine with an intense, dark color that was not particular bright. The nose was that of a hot year but well-managed with tarry scents on a persistent vein of jammy, black fruit, while the presence of citron and black fruit jello was excellent. The taste is very rich, intense, with the alcohol component giving a sweetness that does not dilute, while the acidity is lower than usual. However, the tannins are what suffer most from the hot year that made them dusty. Nevertheless, the persistence is excellent even if a bit monotonous on a jammy theme. A great interpretation of a very difficult year.

Saffredi 2004 Maremma Toscana Igt Fattoria Le Pupille  

91/100 - € 98

The color is very intense and compact with almost blue-like nuances. The aroma is also quite intense with a rich and incisive fruit component centered on classic scents of small, dark berries, raspberry and currant, together a slight greenish tinge that refreshes and broadens the sweetness, making it almost jammy. The taste is quite impressive with an excellent progression that nicely saturates the taste buds with very soft, classy tannins and just a hint of acidity. The finish is excellent and corresponds nicely with the aroma on warmer notes. The persistence is super.

Saffredi 2007 Maremma Toscana Igt Fattoria Le Pupille  

89/100 - € 90

To be honest,  I expected more but perhaps this is my 'problem' with Saffredi made from hot years. The wine is excellent but a little predictable with ligneous scents of créme caramel, coffee and a smoked component that, for now, overshadow the vein of fruit, although there are traces of wild berries and currant jam. Nevertheless, everything together is very clean and technically unexceptionable. The taste is quite fatty, very rotund and perfectly drinkable, with the tannins and acidity struggling to hold up the extractive matter. A very enjoyable wine but a little too 'California' for me.

Saffredi 2009 Maremma Toscana Igt Fattoria Le Pupille  

92/100 - € 70

The color is an impenetrable, yet lively and bright bluish. The bouquet is elegant and rich at the same time with cedar and eucalyptus blending in to lighten the intense fruit base of currant, blackberry and dark underbrush. A bewitching, sweet woodiness make it intense and persistent. The flavor matches the loveliness of the aroma in a wine that may be still young but already has an excellent balance. The tannins are both rich and elegant and the progression is excellent, almost creamy. The finish is compelling, given its age, and the persistence wonderful with a return of a note of graphite that bodes well for a great future.

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