2008 Tenimenti Luigi d'Alessandro Syrah Cortona Migliara

The single-vineyard 2008 Cortona Syrah Migliara fleshes out beautifully in the glass with layers of dark red fruit that fill out the wine’s broad shouldered frame nicely. The Migliara is at once more perfumed and higher toned than Il Bosco, with an expression of fruit that tends towards the red end of the spectrum. Fine, polished tannins round out the creamy finish. Here, too, the wine remains extremely primary with little in the way of aromatic development or complexity at this early stage. A small amount of Viognier is added at the final blend. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2026. This is another strong set of wines from D’Alessandro. The wines have improved dramatically since Luca Currado joined the fold a few years ago. The 2008 Syrahs saw an extended period of skin contact, beginning with a 5 day cold soak. The wines went in French oak barrels (20%new) for the malolactic fermentations, and were then racked into cask, where they completed their aging, a very Vietti-like elevage that has produced marvelous results thus far. This year the wines are more similar in quality than last year, which may reflect the additional emphasis the estate has made on improving Il Bosco. In 2008 Il Bosco is darker and more about broad brush strokes while Migliara is delicate and all about detail. They are both terrific. Various American importers, including: Martin Scott Wines, Little Neck, NY; tel. (516) 327-0808, Trilussa Wine Company, Greenbrae CA; tel. (415) 499 8466, MS Walker, Warren, RI; tel. (401) 247-0646