Suisassi IGP Costa Toscana 2018 — Duemani

The Syrah comes from the clay-rich and stony vineyard with limestone in the subsoil in Riparbella. The vineyard is described as extreme by Elena Celli and Luca d'Attomo. It faces the Tyrrhenian Sea. The vines were planted 17 years ago.

Manual harvest and first selection in the vineyard. Gentle destemming and second selection on the sorting table follow in the winery. The berries should reach the fermentation in the barrel without any injuries. Fermentation then takes place in conical oak barrels with 1000l capacity as well as small barriques of French origin. R<and 30% of the harvest are fermented with whole grapes. In the barriques, manual pigeage takes place during fermentation. In the conical barrels, the must is pumped over the rising marc cake. Fermentation is followed by a maceration period of 30 days. After racking, the wines are blended and now returned to the same barrels for ageing. 80% first barrels and 20% second barrels. Maturation in the barrel lasts 22 months. No further racking or filtration takes place until bottling on 16.10.2020.

Bright purple, violet reflexes

The 2018 Suisassi Syrah from Duemani is a stunner. Mulberries, plums and blackberries pour out in abundance. Black olives, dark chocolate and dark roasted coffee complement the fruit very well. Licorice, anise and black pepper as well as plenty of violets give it the final touch. It sounds like a lot of power and what feels like liquid jam. But Suisassi, in contrast, shows no characteristics of such a wine. It seems profound, sublime and characterised by great elegance.

On the palate, it seems surprisingly taut and cool. So far away from jam. The Syrah is found in its usual dark and earthy manner. Full of juiciness and finesse. The mineral pressure paired with the silky feel on the palate is enormously flattering. One almost forgets its power and force. The acidity rushes in and provides it with additional freshness and drinking flow. On the palate, it nails the aromas of the nose. In the aftertaste, blackberry, but also liquorice and aniseed continue to dominate the taste picture for a long time.