2016 - Saffredi, Fattoria Le Pupille, Toscana

True to a vintage that will be remembered for excellent quality across Tuscany, the Fattoria le Pupille 2016 Saffredi is one of the standout wines in this retrospective. It is a very strong protagonist among these younger vintages. The wine remains full of life and energy, and there is an especially zesty note that recalls climbing vines or crunchy snow peas with contrasting elements of greenness and sweetness. If 2018 is remembered for ripeness and brandied cherry, and 2017 shows aromas of toasted espresso bean, this 2016 vintage leans into dried flower, peat moss and pastis. Oak is used generously, but not in an overblown manner, to give the wine important structural power and aging runway. The finish is linear and tight.

The 2016 Saffredi is even better from bottle than it was from barrel - and that is saying a lot. A ton, in fact. Soaring in its concentration and scale, the 2016 boasts superb intensity in all of its dimensions. Readers who want to understand how magical the 2016 is will find the answer here. Macerated dark cherry, espresso, mint, lavender and leather add layers of nuance, but it is the wine's inner sweetness and extraordinary balance that stand out most. The 2016 is a pure and total pleasure bomb; that's all there is to it.

?????60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot. Winter was mild and left the vines in perfect dormancy. Spring was generally quite cool because of some rainfall at the beginning and end of March. Less rain in May and June favoured good fruit-set. Summer was dry with considerable differences between day- and night-time temperatures, so veraison was satisfactory and the right balance between sugar ripeness and acidity was achieved. A warm September allowed the vines to ripen slowly. Harvest between 10 September and 15 October. 45,000 bottles produced.Dark crimson. Well-composed nose with rather sophisticated balance between fruit and minerality. Lots of tannin but well-handled tannins. Still quite youthful and very saline and savoury. Dry finish for now. Masses of pleasure for now too. (JR)