The Fattoria le Pupille 2018 Saffredi borrows quite a bit from all of the grapes that make up the blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot). These balanced results open to a round bouquet of dark fruit, black cherry and plum. As the wine warms in the glass, it shows spice, cured tobacco and campfire embers. This is a full-bodied expression, but not excessively so. It puts forth immediate elegance with carefully measured tannins and a fitting postscript of fresh acidity. This newest vintage of Saffredi should be hitting the market now, but if you buy it, you should plan on cellaring it.

This is a terrific set of wines from Fattoria le Pupille. The 2018 Saffredi offers an accurate and classic expression of the vintage. As it so happens, I have recently had the opportunity to re-taste several bottles of the 2016 Saffredi (which I awarded 98 points) at various masterclasses and events I have guided. Coming back to that wine, I now detect a hint of animal musk that seems to have developed in the bottle. I'll record that comment here, but I look forward to revisiting that vintage in a more formal manner at the next opportunity.