100 points and top Redigaffi ever for Ian D’Agata of Terroir Sense (and former Italian editor for Tanzer and Vinous):
This one’s easy. As much as I liked a number of wines at this year’s fair, there is no denying the Tua Rita 2021 Merlot Redigaffi Toscana is basically a masterpiece. Redigaffi has been one of Italy’s and the world’s best Merlot wines for a very long time now (the 1999 and 2001 were already splendid, world-class Merlot wines) and the 2021 only adds to this famous wine’s legacy. Pure, silky, creamy, marvelously well-balanced, utterly seamless in its delivery of ripe small dark berries, candied violet and sweet spices, words cannot do this beauty justice. Drinking window: 2026-2036.
Best ever for Vinous, too:
The 2021 Redigaffi is superb. Silky, dense and expansive, with terrific depth, it possesses striking nuance from start to finish. Black cherry, plum, espresso, licorice and menthol infuse the 2021 with tons of resonance. Here, too, the approach is quite a bit dialed back from the early days.
99 points and best in decades for Suckling:
Wow. The aromas are really something else with red fruits, black olives, spices like cardamon and nutmeg, as well as hints of tar and meat. It’s full-bodied yet in check and focus with fine, fine tannins that roll over the palate and create beautiful motion. Chewy yet silky and endless. A great young merlot and one of the best for a number of years.
And Decanter:
Tua Rita's flagship bottling is pure Merlot from Colline Metallifere, matured for 18 to 20 months in new French oak barriques. There's chocolatey richness here but also fragrance, with some violet, plum and blue fruit scents. In the mouth its super-fresh, saline acidity invites an intense attack of spiced plum, blackberry and damson along with white pepper and clove, leading to a plush, velvety mid-palate with cocoa and wood lingering in the background and supported by fine, well-integrated tannins. Concentrated, vibrant and saline, this is an extraordinary Merlot with a gastronomic edge.
As Rare Wine Invest points out, Redigaffi not only outscores both Sassicaia and Ornellaia, but also has a tenth their production, making it an obvious choice for wine investment. Though it would be pretty nice to drink this, too.
