Fontodi Syrah Case Via Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT

Halfway Bandol and Barossa, this Tuscan Syrah is both supple and rustic. Brambly fruit, peppery spice, soft tannines, good length and typicité and no noticeable heat. Simply an excellent Syrah.

Absolutely one of my favourite wines.

PHMG WAG: Syrahs from around the World (The Lyon's Tree House) : From someone who has an idiosyncratic distaste for Italian acidity if the vintage is not ripe: well, surprise! A very nice aged Syrah from a place we don't think of for this varietal. Some nice leather, herb, and earth notes to the mixed berry fruit. Modest oak and meat tinges are there too. On plateau, the tannins are resolved/ smooth. Very nice the next day too. Hit it!

PNP last night and much closer to what I would have hoped for ......solid, earthy, still quite dark with smoke, ash and solid fruit to pare with the structure...excellent

14% d'alcool, 100% Syrah Oeil : opacité 7/10, profond, légère touche évoluée à l'auréole, forte viscosité en parois, bien net (pas trouble) Nez : projection d'intensité 6/10, frais, fumée, épicé sur le poivre frais, torréfaction, fruits noirs rappelant le cassis et la framboise noire, café, boisé fondu, bois mouillé, touche terreuse et de feuilles mortes, touche balsamique, cendres froides, superbe Bouche : sec, ample à gras, tanins encore charnus, acidité rafraîchissante, amertume moyenne+, persistance moyenne+, rétro fumée, fruitée, torréfiée, épicée, …

Vreemde licht robijnrode, troebele kleur. Krachtige geur met peper, bramen, bosgrond en rook. Vol en krachtig in de mond, zwart fruit, vleeskers, heel zuiver, mooie frisheid. Lang aanhoudend, iets korrelige tannines.

Cerise mures, torrefaction et epices au nez. En bouche, tannins fondus et belle acidite. Du velours et un bel equilibre. Excellent avec un osso bucco! Bu il y a 3 ans, les tannins etaient encore serres. Aujourd'hui pret a boire mais encore plein de fruit.

Trouble. Balsamique. Nez traduisant encore la syrah, fumée, fruité, florale. Bouche plate, tanins à plat, acidité faible, persistance plutôt courte. Tout de même bon, mais déclin avancé sur cette bouteille.

Pepper and smoke on the nose. Dark berries, bacon, vanilla. Long chocolate finish. 92pts

Bright. Mocha spice. Not jammy. Medium tannins. Cognac sweet nose. Mole. Alcohol on nose. Decent.

Smokey, toasty and peppery. This was a great bottle, but you should give it another year or two.

this wine is young and still very very dark, almost black. Not sure I got classic syrah nose. I decanted this for about an hour prior to dinner of psata with sausage and tomato and the pairing was ok. Initially a good deal of tannin and really not much pleasure. Softened and opened wiith time and starting to become interesting...although still not sure I would recognize this as syrah.....I have one more bottle and will leave it for a couple …

Consistent with previous note. Drinking absolutely beautifully right now.

First Tasting @ Giron (NK's Home) : Plums and prunes sloshed in burnt dark soy sauce. A violet-fragranced palate of dark berries and sweet dark raspberries. Teeth coating tannins.

Dark, almost black. Wonderful dark brooding nose of black cherries, black berries, bacon, vanilla and a herbal touch that I can't describe with more accuracy. Outstanding ! The taste is somewhat polished but extraordinarily well composed - dark berries, tar and licorice resonate over a firm base of soft tannins. No hints of the hot vintage whatsoever. Beautiful wine that will bring pleasure for many years to come although it's bloody hard to keep your hands off it now.

Fontodi Vertical Dinner (Acquerello, San Francisco) : Nose of savory red fruits, some mineral notes, with time developing toward oak, with a strong mocha character. In the palate this is fairly jammy and is pushing that bruised-fruit level of ripeness. Probably my least favorite wine of the tasting.