The 2021 Scrio, Le Macchiole’s Syrah, opens with crushed flowers, bright, red-toned fruit and a kick of white pepper. Vibrant acids lift the mid-palate beautifully. This is an especially elegant, refined Scrio that very much reflects a shift to hillside vineyards that now account for 50% of the blend. At times, the red fruit profile and medium-bodied structure are Pinot-like. There’s a feeling of delicacy, of understatement, that is palpable. The 2021 was aged for 14 months in neutral French oak, Clayvers (small, round ceramic vessels) and stoneware amphora, an approach that further accentuates the wine’s vibrant fruit. Scrio is such an unusual Syrah. I am so intrigued to see how it ages.