Wine of the Week

By Kerry Winslow

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2007 Tenimenti Luigi D’ Alessandro Syrah “Migliara” Cortona, Tuscany.
Gambero Rosso’s Tre Bicchieri World Tour Tasting in San Francisco is a must see event for Italian wine lovers, and this year’s event was my first time and I hope never to miss it again! All the award winning wines were poured without fuss or pretense and many of the winemakers or winery directors were on hand to explain their wines and terroirs. I was able to meet many great producers and chat with the vineyard managers and winemakers, a few of which are my personal favorites. I was delighted to meet and talk to Massimo D’ Alessandro of Tenimenti Luigi D’ Alessandro in Cortona, as his Syrah’s have long been very special to me, as well as discuss his thoughts on why Syrah is so good in this old Etruscan hillside near the famed walled city of Cortona in eastern Tuscany. Tenimenti Luigi D’ Alessandro’s Syrah is now the stuff of legends, and I feel lucky to have enjoyed many vintages of their “Il Bosco” Syrah, but this was my first time tasting the “Migliara” and was blown away, this is one of the world’s best Syrah wines! Massimo has a great winemaking team for his wines with Luca Currado, Vietti’s fifth generation head winemaker, Christine Vernay famed winemaker of the Rhone Valley and Angela Fonti, plus a very special terroir that has just the right conditions to produce amazing Syrah.
The 2007 Migliara is beautiful and deep, almost beyond explanation, for those that have had Guigal’s La La’s or Chave’s Hermitage will instantly just know they are drinking in magic, this wine is something like those heroic classics plus with a touch of Penfold’s Grange added for good measure, but still something utterly unique. The perfume, mineral streak, fullness of palate and length of finish are close to perfect with touches of game, earth and white pepper that add complexity. The main core of fruit is smoothly layered with plum, cassis, blackberry, blueberry and boysenberry plus hints of fennel, kirsch and bitter chocolate.
($90 Est.) 95-96 Points, grapelive

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