Il Borro Syrah Sangiovese Pian di Nova 2014

Wine Advocate 88 points - Made with Syrah and Sangiovese, the 2014 Pian di Nova is a fruit-forward and succulent wine with dark cherry aromas, blackberry, spice and cured tobacco. You get a lot of bang for your buck with this polished and smooth red blend from Tuscany. Like many wines from this difficult vintage, the mouthfeel is a bit thinner and shorter compared to past editions..August/2017

James Suckling 90 points - A dense and polished young wine with firm and silky tannins and hints of white pepper. Medium body, fresh finish. A little lean, but I like the character. Drink now..August/2017

The vineyards have a density of 4,500 plants per hectare and are all at an average height of 250 metres above sea level. With the end-of-August pruning, each plant produces a maximum of 1.5 kg of grapes, and therefore 7000 kg of grapes per hectare, with a wine yield of 5,000 l per hectare. The grapes are hand-harvested, de-stemmed and sorted manually, and are then pressed and gravity-fed to the vinification tanks. Each variety is vinified separately. Maceration on the skins continues for 20 days in stainless-steel vats at a controlled temperature of 26°C. Alcoholic fermentation lasts 10 days on average. After racking, the wine is placed in Allier oak barrels, one third new, another third two years old and the final third 3 years old. After the malolactic fermentation, which takes place around the month of November, the two grape varieties are blended. Maturation in casks lasts 6 months, after which period the wine returns to the stainless-steel vats for approximately one month, then being gently filtered, bottled and subjected to a final 6-month maturing in bottles.

Pasta dishes or other first courses.