The Wine of the Month: Il Fortino IGT Tuscany 2018
For the month of June the Tenuta wants to offer you one of its wines in particular, which we are sure will meet your favor and you will like it very much, whether you are an expert sommelier or you are simply passionate. We are talking about the FORTINO IGT TOSCANA 2018.
We present it to you today, even if it has actually been on the market for about a week, and even if we go towards summer, a season in which we tend to prefer white wines, we are sure that you will not be disappointed, but that you will be pleasantly surprised for its elegance.
Il Fortino is made of 100% Syrah that comes from the oldest Syrah vineyard in Tuscany, and probably also in Italy. A vineyard, this one, planted in 1963, even a year before the construction of the Buonamico estate itself. In fact, the estate, known at the time as the Buonamico farm, was inaugurated in 1964, but the first owners planted the vines years earlier, and for a certain period they had their wines bottled at another farm in Montecarlo, upon Lucca hills.
As it is well known, the old vines are less productive, but they have grapes of the highest quality, because they are more deeply rooted in the soil, and therefore their water and nutrient supply is better.
For red berried grapes, in particular, there is a greater concentration of anthocyanins, flavones and flavonoids, responsible for color and aromas, which are unique from wine to wine. The wines obtained from an old vineyard are therefore deeper and more structured, as well as obviously intimately linked to the territory.
In our Syrah vineyard some experts from the University of Milan have even found seven clones derived from a French vineyard of the 1800s, a period in which, thanks to the enlightened winemaker Giulio Magnani, the way of making wines in Montecarlo changed radically. Many grapes originating from various areas of France were introduced, such as Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and, last but not least, Syrah.
A widespread legend in the Rhone valley would attribute the origin of Syrah to today’s Iran. In fact, according to legend, it would seem that the Hermitage vineyard was founded by a knight of the Crusades, Gaspard de Sterimberg, who returned to France with a Persian wine. There is even an Iranian legend that refers to the beautiful princess Shiraz. This, out of favor with King Jamshid, tried to commit suicide by drinking the juice of a jar full of grapes. He was unable to poison herself, but rather got drunk on the must and fell asleep. The next day he decided to let the king taste the same juice, to be forgiven. The king was so impressed by the sublime aromas of this juice that he decreed that from that time on all the of Persepolis would be dedicated to winemaking.
Some studies from the late nineties have shown that Syrah derives from a spontaneous crossing of two French vines, Doureza and Mondeuse Blanche, but however syrah is a grape with a particular charm, which seems to sink its history in the myths of tradition.
The 2018 vintage, thanks in particular to the high temperatures recorded in September and early October, saw grapes with excellent ripeness, with decidedly interesting aromatic and polyphenolic profiles.
The Fortino Igt Toscana 2018, therefore, is an extremely interesting wine, which cannot leave you indifferent. The syrah is fermented in stainless steel at a controlled temperature, and ages in French oak barriques for about 18 months. Already at first glance the Fortino shows a beautiful deep red color with violet reflections. By swirling the wine in the glass you can notice tight arches and many legs. These are formed because the wine molecules start moving and stick to the walls of the glass, and begin to evaporate. The evaporating molecules form droplets in the upper part of the glass and then fall back as “tears” under the effect of their weight and the force of gravity.
From this it can be deduced that the more alcoholic a wine is, the more tears there will be and the tighter the arches will be. This is exactly what happens when our Fortino rolls around in the glass.
After a first visual examination we move on to the second sense involved in tasting, namely the sense of smell. On the nose our Syrah in purity is intense, broad, with hints of red fruit in the foreground, followed by berries, in particular blackberries, and by balsamic and spicy notes, in particular pepper.
At this point it is time for tasting: on the palate the Fortino is very broad, savory, with a great structure and balanced, with powerful, dense and soft tannins.
Its optimal serving temperature is 18 °, therefore, especially now that we are heading towards the very hot season, we suggest you to slightly lower the temperature before enjoying it.
If you are planning to organize a nice grilled red or white meats, perhaps to share with family and friends, this is a wine that you will certainly not be able to do without. Also excellent with delicate roasts and sauced meats, it will pleasantly surprise you if you taste it with dark chocolate, perhaps in the cool of a summer evening. A meditation wine, therefore, and not only convivial, which can accompany you whether you want to enjoy a moment of relaxation alone or in company.
In our Syrah restaurant, which dedicates its name to this wine, we particularly recommend combining it with a unique recipe by chef Stefano Chiappelli, the very delicate “Other pork cheek lacquered with chestnut honey and pollen, pan-fried agretti”. Come and visit us: seeing is believing!
