Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi (10 Best Wines, Prices, Food Pairings)

by Elaine Lau

Saffredi is the flagship wine of the prestigious Fattoria le Pupille winery. The estate is located in the coastal areas of the Maremma region in southern Tuscany, Italy.

In 1987, Elisabetta Geppetti masterfully crafted the Italian wine with the help of her father-in-law and mentor, Alfredo Gentili, and the legendary winemaker Giacomo Tachis.

Named as a tribute to Gentili, Saffredi is a Super Tuscan blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot.

In this article, we’ll explore Saffredi in detail - how it’s made, food pairing ideas, the 10 best bottles, and whether you should invest in this wine.

Saffredi: The Flagship Wine Of Fattoria Le Pupille

Saffredi is the first Super Tuscan from the Maremma region of Italy.

This Italian wine is an exquisite expression of the unique terroir of the Maremma region. The altitude, sea breeze, warm climate, and mineral-rich soil provide excellent conditions for the cultivation of grapes.

The first vintage of Saffredi was bottled in 1987 and released in 1990. Since then, the winery has released 31 vintage bottles, each distinct and unique from the other.

Over the years, there have been a few changes in the third grape variety of the Saffredi blend:

Until 2004: Saffredi was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Alicante.
2004 - 2012: Christian le Sommer replaced Alicante with Syrah.
2012 - present: Today, the wine is a savory combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and 10% Petit Verdot.

10 Best Bottles Of Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi

Here are some of the exquisite Saffredi wines, along with their tasting notes:

1995 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana, $57
2001 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana, $99
2004 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana, $107
2005 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana, $83
2006 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana, $105
2007 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana, $105
2010 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana, $90
2016 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana, $115
2017 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana, $82
2018 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana, $83

1. 1995 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana ($57)

This vintage showcases a round bouquet of earth, wood, and leather notes, highlighted by blackcurrant syrup, spicy chocolate, and fresh fruit flavors.

2. 2001 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana ($99)

This stunning bottle has a generous velvety texture. It’s a well-balanced wine with a beautiful palate, fine tannins, and a nose of fresh ripe fruit.

3. 2004 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana ($107)

The bottle opens with a complex nose of savory, soy, and wafers. It has a well-balanced, fruity palate with lovely silky tannins adding to the rich flavors.

4. 2005 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana ($83)

This beautiful red wine opens with the immediate elegance of blackberry, plum, and black cherry. This voluptuous drink is framed by fine-grained tannin and fresh acidity.

5. 2006 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana ($105)

This wine is a harmonious blend of dark fruit and mocha. It wafts of mint, blackcurrant, and lavender with a hint of spice.

6. 2007 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana ($105)

This bottle showcases exquisite finesse with its delicate spicy aromas, dark fruit flavors, and round tannins. The wine finishes off with sweet tobacco hints and a slight note of heat.

7. 2010 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana ($90)

This deep purple wine has spicy aromas and pronounced flavors of salty licorice, blackberry, blackcurrant, and black cherry. The fine tannin mouthfeel complements the balanced structure of the wine.

8. 2016 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana ($115)

The bottle opens with the striking aromatic presence of dark berry, licorice, and rosemary with fine-grained tannin. The wine has flavors of cassis, dark chocolate, and spice.

9. 2017 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana ($82)

This deep ruby vintage has an intense and stunning nose. It reveals pronounced flavors of plum, blackcurrant, strawberry husk, and gorgeous blackberries.

10. 2018 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana ($82)

This refined Saffredi bottle has opulent black fruit aromas. The well-balanced palate shows a lovely depth of ripe fruit, herbal tinge, wood flavor, spicy chocolate, and sweet tobacco.

Investing In Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi

If you’re looking to invest in some magnificent wines, check out the Vinovest website.

Vinovest is an AI-driven wine investment platform that lets you buy, store and sell wines from around the world in just a few clicks.

Initially, le Pupille produced just 9000 bottles of Saffredi annually. Although the production has increased to 30,000 bottles since 2008, it still only accounts for a mere 2,500 cases annually.

This limited production, coupled with Saffredi’s great aging potential of 10-15 years, makes the wine an attractive investment opportunity.

The price of Fattoria Le Pupille Saffredi has been steadily increasing over the years. The 2016 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana increased by 45% from $81 in 2020 to $118 in 2021.

The wine is also doing well at auctions:

In 2013, 6 magnum bottles of 2007 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana were sold for $716 by Christie’s.
In 2021, an 18 litre bottle of 2016 Fattoria Le Pupille 'Saffredi' Maremma Toscana was auctioned at Christie’s for $1,859.

Saffredi wine is also a favorite among critics like Jancis Robinson and Monica Larner.

For instance, Jancis Robinson awarded 18 out of 20 points to Saffredi 2014 for its impressive freshness, well-refined tannin, and great balance.

Next, let’s check out the best food that goes along with a glass of Saffredi.

Mouth-Watering Food Pairings With Saffredi

The rich tones of Saffredi make it a great pair to meats like beef, lamb, veal, poultry, and game. You can even serve a glass of this red wine with various dark chocolate desserts like fudge or chocolate cheesecake.

Additionally, the dry finish of Saffredi makes it a great accompaniment to a good-old cigar.

Fattoria Le Pupille Vineyards And Winemaking

Under Elisabetta Geppeti, Fattoria le Pupille vineyards grew from 5 to 75 hectares in size.

The Saffredi vineyards are situated at around 920 feet above sea level on sandstone and clay soils. The grapes also benefit from the perfect balance between the high daytime and low night-time temperatures.

The harvested grapes are macerated for 25 days. 20% of the wine is aged in old French oak barrels, and the rest in new barrels.

Besides Saffredi, le Puppille also produces: