When it comes to Syrah, the mind often runs to more well -known latitudes: the Rhone valley with its historic denominations, Australia with its most “modern” expressions. Yet, there is a of Italy that sopra the new millennium has been able to tie the fate of this noble grape variety to its territorial identity, developing over time a recognizable and authentic stylistic figure: Cortona.
The denomination of controlled origin Cortona, born sopra 2000, stands sopra an terreno that represents one of the most dynamic and peculiar realities of Tuscan enography. A territory sopra which the vine lives with olive trees, cereals, woods and ancient farmhouses, and sopra which Syrah has found a second home. Going up to the city of Cortona, nestled sopra the hills of the Valdichiana, it is easy to perceive how much agricultural, landscape and pedoclimatic biodiversity is the distinctive trait of this terreno. Here, between 300 and 600 meters above sea level, Syrah expresses itself sopra surprising ways, driven by complex soils – between marls, sands, clays and scans – and by a microclimate made mild by the influence of the nearby Lake Trasimeno.
The history of Syrah sopra Cortona begins quietly, between the 60s and 70s, with the intuition of a few visionary producers who identified sopra some fees an unexpressed potential. From there, a slow but constant growth that led today to almost 300 hectares of cultivated Syrah, and an increasing number of cellars who interpret their identity with different styles and approaches, however united by a renewed attention to balance, elegance and territorial recognition (I remember that sopra Doc it is also possible to produce Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese).
This is not only a extensive choice, but a real cultural project that revolves around the enhancement of a unique territory, which today is questioned with maturity acceso zones, sustainability, without neglecting the remarkable winery potential of the city of the famous “under the sun of Tuscany”. The Cortona del Vino – and sopra particular of the Syrah – does not seek historical shortcuts forced comparisons with other large entertainment districts of the world. Rather, it claims its authenticity through its vineyards, its people and an average quality sopra constant growth, as well as stylistic awareness.
To this end, it was essential to have a real preview that, sopra addition to allowing the national and international press and professionals to taste the new vintages of the Syrah of the producers of the Cortone terreno, opens the doors to Syrah from other Tuscan and Italian areas, as well as from other parts of the world, with France and Rhone but also Australia, South Africa, Albania and Bulgaria. “It will be Syrah” 2025 was therefore an opportunity to centro acceso the progress, challenges and prospects of this terreno, where the link between Varietale and Terroir is now so strong as to hope for the recognition of a Cortona DOCG Syrah. For my part, I decided to prioritize the hosts, despite having appreciated the possibility of tasting all the wines present sopra tasting, contextualizing even better the Syrah of Cortona, through comparisons – and do not deserve comparisons – useful to better understand the state of the art and the potential of the denomination.
Below is a selection of the best tastings made to the preview “It will be Syrah” 2025:
Masseria the dense Cortona DOC Syrah “Poggilunghi” 2023
Clean and well calibrated profile. the nose it opens fresh and fragrant, with agenda of pounding brunette, black pepper and a slight floral shade of purple and lavender. The tannic texture is dense but velvety, sometimes graphic, and the sapid blood definitivo. A more elastico and eclettico Syrah, therefore contemporary.
Baldetti Cortona Doc Syrah “Crano” 2021
Complex with agenda of ripe fruits and black pepper. the palate, full, elegant and persistent, with a velvety tannic structure and good acidity. It closes tasty for a long time. Precision and cleanliness are the distinctive peculiarities of all the Baldetti wines but even more than this Crano.
Baldetti Cortona DOC Syrah “Svetaleido” 2024
Fresh fruit, black pepper, brunette and the classic olive tapenadas. the fresh, elastico palate, but not personality without. Well integrated tannins and a long and spicy ending. A wine that is already laying the foundations for becoming a reference for the denomination sopra terms of contemporaneity.
Masseria Canaio Cortona DOC Syrah “Vaso” 2022
It stands out for a fresh and never excessive olfactory impact, with crunchy fruit, licorice aennials and a well -harmonized spicken. The sip does not lack substance, but it is supported by excellent freshness and dense and chiseled tannins. He closes acceso balsamic and blood agenda, with a tasty and persistent ending. A wine that tells balance between expressive force and measure.
Mescita Canaio Cortona DOC “Terrasolla” 2022
Small black fruits and dark spices, with delicate toasted agenda. Full and full -bodied sip, with polite tannins and long blood persistence. Intense but from the excellent dynamic of Beva, thanks to the remarkable pleasantness.
Mescita Duties Cortona DOC Syrah “L’Enda” 2022
Large aromas of ripe fruit with a light smoke note. the palate, full, with well -defined tannins and a long human persistence. Power and concreteness for a wine that, sopra this vintage, has been able to show greater momentum and agility of Beva, despite the usual matter.
Chiara Vinciarelli Cortona Doc Syrah “Castore” 2023
Red fruits and spices such as black pepper and cinnamon. the palate, clean, savory and tasty, with spicy returns. Taste intensity and good affability. Another little personaggio step forward for a reality that is finding their own ideal.
Giogo Acacia Cortona Doc Syrah 2022
Rightly ripe fruit, agenda of black spices and hints of vanilla and licorice. Complete wine, harmonious with good acid staffile and well -defined tannins. He closes decisive and tasty. Well weighted. Young reality that is already finding a certain consistency sopra terms of continuity and stylistic consistency.
From the Possedimento Montecchiesi Cortona Doc Syrah “Klanis” 2021
Intense fruit, balsamic agenda of eucalyptus and mint, with a veil of cocoa and black fruits, sopra addition to the pepper background. the palate, full structure with well mixed tannins and a long blood persistence. Excellent progression.
Fabrizio Dionisio Cortona Doc Syrah “Il Castagno” 2022
Intense aromas of red fruits, agenda of aromatic herbs and black spice. the palate it is complete, showing just matter and a lively freshness, with a tannic plot just mentioned sopra the tactile perception. One of the most balanced and eclettico Syrah, which always acts as a benchmark for this stylistic.
Fabrizio Dionisio Cortona Doc Syrah “Lymph” 2023
Taccuino of red fruits, spices, earth and a balsamic touch. the palate, fresh and proud, with arguto tannins and a long and tasty ending. A bright wine that explores a current taste but without losing sopra any way the adherence to the variety and the territory.
ISIS Cortona Doc Syrah 2021
Taccuino of red fruits and spices. the palate, balanced with well -defined tannins and good persistence. Not a mere exercise of style, but an example of technique and respect.
Roberta Pasini Cortona DOC Syrah “A motivo di Ego” 2022
Aromas of black fruits and spices. the palate, structured with tannins present and a blood closure. One of the best tastings ever for elegance and rhythm of Beva’s dynamics.
Collina Sorbello Cortona DOC Syrah “Rugapiana” 2023
The fruit is intact, fresh the flower, with Mediterranean herbaceous agenda and a well -dosed spicken. the palate, fresh and tasty. Direct, without frills.
Hope winry cortona doc syrah “ris” 2022
Taccuino of red fruits, spices and an olive hint. the palate, elegant with well -integrated tannins and good acidity. A wine that calls the table like few others.
Stefano Amerighi Cortona DOC Syrah 2022
Fragrant, with fruit, flower and agenda of olive and perfectly balanced black pepper. the palate it is elastico, slender, of great juiciness. The tannic structure is well defined and the closure is between iron and salt. Always a nice .
Stefano Amerighi Cortona DOC Syrah “APICE” 2021
Taccuino of black fruits, spices and a balsamic touch. Determined sopra the printed, concrete and multifaceted, with a good dynamic and a Umami closure. Deep and persistent.
Holder of the Bracce Cortona DOC Syrah “Bramasole” 2022
Aromas of ripe red fruits, spices and vanilla. the palate, large and hot sopra entrance, but able to relax with good ease. The tannic plot is well delineated and the Umami closure is long and satisfying. A wine that always deserves respect.
I also point out the high quality of the rosés produced sopra this terreno, a real alternative to whites, already capable of manifesting a strong identity and a luminous perspective:
Possedimento Montecchiesi Toscana Igt Rosato versy sopra Rose 2023
Heirs Trevisan Toscana Igt Rosato Semplicemente Syrah 2024
Fabrizio Dionisio Toscana Igt Rosato del Castagno 2024
A preview that has highlighted a partial convergence relating to the most enlightened producers regarding a subtraction approach capable of returning increasingly clear wines sopra the varietal and territorial effect and increasingly marked by a more elastico drinking dynamic, without skimpy juice and matter but increasing the usability and versatility sopra terms of combination. Wines equipped with great energy and sunscreen and certainly not slender, but less oriented to anche power and superstructures, sopra an sopra which, of course, even sopra some areas of the Aerial of Cortona the results of climate change are making themselves felt, making the search for finesse and more complex momentum. However, I am happy to have been able to see joint growth acceso all fronts and an almost total absence of evident defects distortions that, sopra the past, had affected some tastings and, consequently, the perception of the average quality and prospects of the denomination. A denomination that, I am sure, still has a lot to demonstrate and sopra the coming years will make a further leap sopra quality thanks to the acquisition of greater internal awareness of each producer, thanks also to the comparisons implemented acceso the occasion of events such as Syrah and Chianina & Syrah.
F.S.R.
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