2018 Syrah Migliara

From top to bottom, the Tenimenti Luigi d'Alessandro portfolio is pure class. Each year, I am blown away by the level of quality and complexity that the entry-level Syrah Rosso displays, and the 2021 Rosso is no different. The 2018 Syrah Migliara has surpassed my expectations, having originally tasted it from tank in 2022. The Calabresi family has been working hard to reorganize and replant the vineyards since 2015. They aim to make better use of location and expositions but also evolve their vine training, changing from low-trained cordon spur to guyot. Having said that, the best is likely still to come.

The Tenimenti Luigi d'Alessandro estate in Cortona continues to undergo positive change under the management of Filippo Calabresi. The wines, made from Syrah and Viognier, exemplify a gorgeously pure and mineral style, finding a balance often lost in this region. The Calabresi family has been working hard to reorganize and replant the vineyards since 2015, to make better use of location and expositions, but also vine training, changing over from low-trained cordon spur to guyot. Many of the older vines on the property grow wild, and the vineyards have become extremely difficult to work and maintain. This ongoing project will one day cover all 30 hectares of the property. Tenimenti Luigi d'Alessandro harvests much earlier than many of their neighbors, by as much as one and half months, to achieve a balanced wine in the 14.5% alcohol range. The Syrah is fermented with ⅔ whole-cluster fruit and matured in a combination of older barrique (circa 2012) and large 3,000-liter botti.