Mazzei, Il Caggio Ipsus, 2020 - Magnum

"Jeweled ruby in colour, each step though the palate adds another layer of nuance and enjoyment. Riven through with sage, thyme, rosemary, raspberries, red cherries, black tea, bay, saffron, oyster shell and fine but creamy tannins. Sums up the idea of balanced fruit, tannins and acidity in a way that can sound overly simple but in reality is one of the hardest things to achieve - but you know it when you taste it. Stainless steel fermentation with native yeasts that begin fermentation naturally, aged across a mix of 70% new oak, 20% in 1,500l oak barrels and the final 10% in ceramic vats. Once the blend of different formats takes place, the wine spends another six months in ceramic vats, followed by 14 months in bottle."

"A little more serious. Denser. More compact. A wine of incredible power for something so lithe and limpid and, again, viscous and crystalline. There’s plunge-pool clarity in the mid-palate. Pristine purity and precision and also great length and focus. So wondrously layered and beautifully pixilated – like a pointillist’s brushstrokes. More ample than the 2019 with a broader frame, accentuating the sense of layering. A further sublimation, with the learning curve meeting the sheer quality of the vintage! Juicy and sapid. An utterly beautiful wine fully indicative of the potential of this enticing project."