FATTORIA LE PUPILLE Saffredi - Maremma, Toscana 2020 MAGNUM (Own Wooden Box)

Description

IN BRIEF
Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi Maremma Toscana 2020 is a concentrated, authoritative Super Tuscan marrying ripe Cabernet structure with Mediterranean warmth. Deep ruby with a bright core, it offers black cherry, plum and blackberry with violet, cedar and cigar box; airing reveals olive tapenade, smoked meat and graphite. Full bodied with a dense, generous mid palate, fine grained tannins support cassis, dark chocolate and clove while bright acidity and a saline mineral seam keep the wine focused. Oak supplies spice and vanilla without dominance. Approachable with decanting yet built for long ageing. Drink 2026 to 2040. Pair with roast or grilled red meats, braised beef, venison or mushroom and truffle dishes. Critics: James Suckling 98; Vinous 96+; Decanter 95.

ABOUT THIS WINE
Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi Maremma Toscana 2020 is a concentrated and authoritative Super Tuscan that marries Mediterranean warmth with meticulous site expression, delivering power, complexity and impressive poise. The colour is deep ruby with a bright core and a slight garnet edge suggesting early evolution. The nose is immediately alluring, offering black cherry, plum and blackberry compote, layered with wild blueberry and a floral lift of violet. With aeration the bouquet deepens to reveal cedar chest, cigar box and polished pencil lead, alongside savoury notes of olive tapenade, smoked meat and a hint of soy reduction.

On the palate the wine is full bodied with a dense, generous mid palate and finely grained tannins that provide an enduring backbone. Primary dark fruit is ripe and concentrated yet energised by a bright mineral seam and fresh acidity that keep the wine from feeling heavy. Mid palate complexity unfolds into layers of black olive, dried herb, graphite and a discreet balsamic lift, while oak ageing contributes spice, clove and a warm vanilla thread that integrates with the fruit rather than masking it. The texture is velvety and the overall architecture is long and linear, carrying flavours to a persistent finish marked by saline minerality, savoury leather and a final echo of dark chocolate.

The 2020 vintage in Maremma was warm with good phenolic ripeness, and at Saffredi this translated into a wine with ripe concentration yet maintained balance and clarity. This is a wine for both immediate gratification and patient cellaring.

Approachable now with decanting, Saffredi 2020 will reward medium to long term ageing as tertiary notes of truffle, forest floor and cedar knit into the fruit. Drink 2026 to 2040, peaking 2028 to 2036. Serve with roast or grilled red meats, braised beef, venison, mature hard cheeses, mushroom and truffle dishes or rich game ragouts to match the wine’s density, savoury depth and refined structure.

JAMES SUCKLING 98 points
Impressive aromas of fresh herbs from the Tuscan coast, such as sage, mint, rosemary and thyme. Blackcurrants, too. Full-bodied with fine, chewy tannins that show beautiful length and consistency. Racy and beautiful, with lots of subtle and refined character. Slightly more cabernet sauvignon this year, which adds class to the wine. 80% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot and 10% petit verdot. Give this about three or four years of bottle age. Try after 2027.

VINOUS 96+ points
Drinking window: 2028 - 2040
The 2020 Saffredi is compelling. Deep yet quite structured, 2020 is unlike any Saffredi I can recall tasting because of its balance of intense dark fruit and vertical structure. Plum, blackberry, pencil shavings, lavender and spice saturate the palate. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2020 is not as showy as most vintages at the same stage.
Antonio Galloni, August 2023

DECANTER 95 points
Tasted by: James Button (at Le Pupille, Maremma, 08 Mar 2023)
Drinking Window: 2023 - 2047
Saffredi was first produced in 1987 and has rightfully forged its place in the pantheon of superTuscans. Elisabetta Geppetti's son, Ettore now oversees the estate's winemaking, and he told me that 2020 was ‘an Atlantic vintage’ with ‘left bank appeal’ – there's not usually so much freshness evident in Saffredi. This could have something to do with the lower proportion of Merlot in the blend, down from the usual 20% to 10% since Merlot struggled in this vintage. Black fruit aromas are supplemented with violets and balsamic notes, while in the mouth plentiful tannins grip cassis and spiced plum. There's a complexity of menthol, spice, chocolate and coffee, with a textured, woody mid-palate and a long, vibrant and youthful finish. Around 40,000 bottles produced.

THE WINE ADVOCATE 95 points
Reviewed by: Monica Larner]
Drink Date: 2024 - 2043
This was the newest vintage tasted as part of this retrospective at the estate. The Fattoria le Pupille 2020 Saffredi shows signs of the hot vintage, especially when tasted in context with the gorgeous 2019, the more candied 2018, the toasted 2017 and the classic 2016 vintages. The 2020 definitely shows a riper and fuller character with bold, big-picture terms and fewer tiny details as a result. Elisabetta Geppetti refers to this edition as a "return to the Taschis school," referring to the celebrated Tuscan consultant Giacomo Taschis, whose signature style embraced balanced ripeness. This wine offers end notes of savory tobacco and spice.
Published: May 30, 2024

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ABOUT FATTORIA LE PUPILLE
Fattoria Le Pupille is a spirited Maremma estate that brought Morellino di Scansano from local curiosity to international conversation. The property was transformed from a modest family holding into a bold modern operation by Elisabetta Geppetti, who since the mid 1980s has led the estate with a mix of ambition and practicality. Today the business remains family centred: Elisabetta is supported by her children, Clara Gentili and Ettore Arturo Rizzi, who share responsibility for commercial strategy, vineyard care and cellar decisions.

Vineyards sit on warm, sunlit slopes at roughly 300 to 350 metres above sea level on predominantly sandy and arenaceous soils that give the wines a swaggering ripeness balanced by coastal freshness. The estate controls substantial acreage, with around eighty hectares under vine planted to Sangiovese, Alicante, Ciliegiolo and a selection of international varieties. Low yields, rigorous canopy work and selective hand picking are standard practice so that each parcel can deliver personality rather than volume.

Winemaking today is a family affair with Ettore Arturo Rizzi prominent in technical oversight. He works alongside the in house team to blend traditional Tuscan instincts with precise modern control. The cellar approach varies by cuvée: Morellino bottlings favour bright fruit and immediate charm, while top IGT wines such as Saffredi are treated with extended maceration and patient élevage to coax power, tannic grip and layered complexity. The team aims for gentle extraction and aromatic lift rather than brute force, so the wines feel generous yet tuned.

The range moves effortlessly from everyday food friendly reds to cult IGT bottlings and single vineyard cuvées. Saffredi sits at the playful apex: dense, plush and undeniably modern, yet grounded in a sense of place. Lighter cuvées show ripe cherry, wild herb and saline lift, making them superb with coastal cuisine, grilled meats and rustic Tuscan fare.

Le Pupille’s charm lies in its blend of family heart and experimental spirit. The Geppetti family remain adventurous, commissioning small trials, exploring parcel selection and refining blends, all while keeping the wines approachable and expressive. The result is a Maremma house that is as ready for a convivial table as it is for serious cellaring.