Il Fortino

I wasn’t able to see the label when this wine was presented to me, and don’t know whether “Syrah” is indicated on either the front or back label, but there’s no mystery whatsoever about the varietal content of the wine. It positively sings of Syrah, and yet what is especially interesting is that it defies pinning down easily in terms of its broad place of origin. By that I mean that is shows a cured or smoked meat character that aligns it with fine renditions from (for example) Saint-Joseph in the Northern Rhône, but also open fruit flavors suggesting a resemblance to Syrahs from Washington State, as well as a quite pronounced peppery character reminiscent of Australian Shiraz from cool climate sites near the Southern Ocean. But aside from all that, the question is whether the wine is delicious as well as intriguing, and the answer is certainly affirmative. Medium-bodied but almost billowing in its bouquet and extremely expressive of mixed berry fruits in flavor, this is every bit as fun as it is intriguing. This is world-class wine at a very attractive price, and an object lesson in how superb Syrah can be from this area within Tuscany. 95 Michael Franz

Vanilla, cedar and spice start out on the nose of this wine, with a little stone, graphite and then dark berries. The palate offers more blueberry and blackberry against dark chocolate, cocoa and an espresso finish. With tannins and acid in good balance, the wine is ready to drink.