I bought this wine for $36 a few years ago and opened it last Friday for some of the CWM during a 10th Anniversary dinner we hosted. We visited the winery on our 1998 Tuscany trip. Fontodi has made this in the Classico region since 1985 from an original 6 acres which has now grown to 13. It is aged in new French oak for 15 months. About 850 cases are made. I have had 5 different vintages of the Fontodi Case Via Syrah. This single vineyard wine shows a remarkable consistency in style. The 1998 was by far the best of the 5 vintages (VM94). The 1994 was past its prime when I had it in February 2002. The 1997 was a 91 point wine and the 1999 was of similar quality. This wine, like the 1994, was past its prime. The color was a medium red with some bricking around the edges. It had a sour component that kept it in the low 80's. Otherwise a decent wine. It is my opinion that these Syrahs are best drunk between 4-10 years after the vintage (depending on the quality of the vintage in which they were made). Not a long term ager. 83 points.
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7/6/2006 - Vino Me wrote: 83 Points
I bought this wine for $36 a few years ago and opened it last Friday for some of the CWM during a 10th Anniversary dinner we hosted. We visited the winery on our 1998 Tuscany trip. Fontodi has made this in the Classico region since 1985 from an original 6 acres which has now grown to 13. It is aged in new French oak for 15 months. About 850 cases are made. I have had 5 different vintages of the Fontodi Case Via Syrah. This single vineyard wine shows a remarkable consistency in style. The 1998 was by far the best of the 5 vintages (VM94). The 1994 was past its prime when I had it in February 2002. The 1997 was a 91 point wine and the 1999 was of similar quality. This wine, like the 1994, was past its prime. The color was a medium red with some bricking around the edges. It had a sour component that kept it in the low 80's. Otherwise a decent wine. It is my opinion that these Syrahs are best drunk between 4-10 years after the vintage (depending on the quality of the vintage in which they were made). Not a long term ager. 83 points.
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