Winemaker Notes
Deep garnet red. Perfumes of spice and dark bramble fruits. The wine is full bodied and rich on the palate, with big noble tannic structure. Good intensity and fine, long length. Not for the weak of heart. Serving Suggestions Roast leg of lamb, prime rib with roasted root vegetables and pan juices. Aged parmigiano.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2000 Case Via Syrah is the most successful wine in the lineup, and the late summer heat was obviously beneficial to this variety. Very dark and saturated in color, its roasted blackberry fruit, smoked meat, and mineral aromas are followed by a round, ample, and deep palate, concentrated but polished and velvety in texture, sweet, warm, and enveloping on the finish.
-
Wine Spectator
Ripe, round and delicious, with lovely blackberry and light spice character. Full-bodied, with soft tannins and a long finish. Always an excellent Syrah. Best after 2006. 1,600 cases made.
Italian Red Wine
While picturesque hillsides, endless coastlines and a favorable climate serve to unify the grape-growing culture of this country. The apparent never-ending world of indigenous grape varieties gives Italy an unexampled charm and allure for its red wines. From the steep inclines of the Alps to the sprawling, warm, coastal plains of the south, red grape varieties thrive throughout.
The kings of Italy, wines like Barolo and Barbaresco (made of Nebbiolo), and Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino (made of Sangiovese), as well as Amarone (mostly Corvina), play center stage for the most lauded, collected and cellar-worthy reds. Less popular but entirely deserving of as much praise are the wines made from Aglianico, Sagrantino and Nerello Mascalese.
For those accustomed to drinking New World reds, the south is the place to start. Grapes like Negroamaro or Primitvo from Puglia and Nero d’Avola from Sicily make soft, ammicable, full-bodied, fruit-dominant wines. Curious palates should be on the lookout for Cannonau (Grenache), Lagrein, Teroldego, Ruché, Freisa, Cesanese, Schiopettino, Rossese and Gaglioppo to name a few.