Our wines

Linfa

Syrah Cortona DOC

Linfa di Syrah grew up out of the desire to explore a very different aspect of Syrah – yes, another interpretation of this expressive grape varietal that we use to make both red wine and white (see our beloved Rosa del Castagno and Bolla Galeotta). After Il Castagno, our most representative wine, and Cuculaia, our cru (both of which age for a long time in our barricaia in wooden barrels of different sizes made for us by master coopers and in our old concrete tanks which were skillfully restored by experienced artisans), and after the baby of the family, Castagnino (which is aged for a shorter period in our cement tanks to preserve its integrity and fragrance, producing a wine that shows the identity of the varietal and is immediate and easy to drink wine over a complex one), I wanted to see how my Syrah might taste if aged in another kind of container, one linked to the most ancient winemaking practices and to the history of wine itself.

After two to three years of trials and experiments, we started vinifying small quantities of our grapes that would otherwise have gone to the production of our more complex wines Il Castagno or Cuculaia, in amphorae made of the best terracotta from Impruneta and other parts of Italy.

After harvesting in late September, to obtain optimally ripe grapes, the grapes go through alcoholic fermentation, a significant degree of which are in whole bunches in the manner of millesimal wines, and punching down repeatedly until malolactic fermentation. The wine then macerates on the skins (which protect it from oxidation) in the amphorae for several months until racking.

Then, after a short period of homogenization in cement tanks, Linfa is bottled and undergoes a further period of aging in the bottle of about one year. Its evocative name happens to be an acronym of the names of the members of my family - Lavinia, Isotta, Niccolò, Fabrizio, and Alessandra – which we discovered by chance and with great joy.

Already enamored with this latest “member of the family,” I am excited about its growth and development, and may one day use other natural materials for its fermentation, ancient and modern, such as clay, terracotta, ceramic, earthenware or natural cement.

“

Linfa, ovvero una versione originale e romantica del Syrah di Cortona nelle mani sapienti di Fabrizio Dionisio che la dedica alla sua famiglia introducendo tecniche enologiche di sicuro effetto

”

Gigi Brozzoni

Guida Veronelli

Linfa

Ancestral soul of Syrah

This Syrah is produced in limited amounts because of the highly complex winemaking process. Linfa seeks to express the most ancestral and exotic soul of the grape by relying on this winemaking process, which many people believe to herald from Asia Minor, and in particular from Caucasus.

Coincidentally, this region, and specifically Armenia, was the birthplace of my maternal grandmother; thus a quarter of my heritage is rooted there. Amphorae have been used since ancient times for great and noble purposes; we will do our very best to live up to this precious heritage.

Data sheet

Grapes

100% Syrah

Yield per hectare

50 quintals from 5000 plants

Annual production

2.500 bottles

Available formats

750 ml

Color

Clear, ruby red with purplish reflections

Perfumes

Faded violets, ferns, verdant greens, forest undergrowth, dark berries, currants and blackberries, thyme, bay leaves, licorice root, and spicy aftertaste

Alcoholic degree

13.5%

Service temperatures

16°

Linfa - Reviews

I Vini di Veronelli

Luigi Veronelli

92/100

Linfa, ovvero una versione originale e romantica del Syrah di Cortona nelle mani sapienti di Fabrizio Dionisio che la dedica alla sua famiglia introducendo tecniche enologiche di sicuro effetto.

Bibenda

Guida ai grandi vini d’Italia

4 GRAPPOLI

Rubino limpido. Profuma di viole appassite, un bel vegetale di felce e macchia boschiva, frutta scura di ribes e more, erbe aromatiche come timo e alloro, radice di liquirizia e un fondo gentile speziato. Gusto morbido, calore alcolico moderato, gradevolmente fresco, tannini felpati, chiude con buon equilibrio d'insieme.

James Suckling

Wine Ratings

92/100

This is very typical for syrah with cloves, sweet tobacco and red fruits on both the nose and palate. Medium to full body. Tight and round tannins and a juicy finish. Reserved yet polished tannins that end and yet it’s attractive and fresh

Vinous

by Antonio Galloni

93/100

The 2020 Syrah Linfa is fabulous. Bright, punchy and effusive, the Linfa is bursting with fruit. There is a feeling of joy to this wine that is hard to describe, but that comes through loud and clear. Aging in terracotta works beautifully in emphasizing the purity of this fruit. I am not sure how the 2020 will age, but I am not sure it matters, as most bottles will probably have been finished before longevity is an issue.

Wine Advocat

by Robert Parker

88/100

Here's a new discovery from Fabrizio Dionisio. The easy-drinking 2019 Cortona Syrah Linfa is a rich and vinous wine with plenty of raw fruit and dark intensity. This is Tuscan Syrah in its naked essence. It opens to an inky appearance and shows concentrated aromas of dried blackberry, plum and spicy tobacco. There is a lot of youth and brightness in this rich Tuscan red