Wine Advisor
Tua Rita, Redigaffi Toscana 2018
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Description
Redigaffi has an intense color that arouses enthusiasm and satisfy the sight, it highlights great complexity characterized by the fruity attack in the mouth leaving then “room” to tobacco and liquorice notes. Good concentration given by the pre-harvesting activity, three passages and perfect maturation reached by our grapes. Outstanding complexity. Floral notes typical of our “Macchia Mediterranea” are intense and persistent. The elegance of tannins is enhanced by the great structure and balance. Considerable extraction and good acidity.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
A beautiful Tuscan Merlot, the 2018 Redigaffi strikes me as an especially rich and balanced expression. This is something I alluded to in my original review of this vintage. The wine is still very young with dark fruit, dried cherry, soft spice and toasted oak. It is dark and concentrated in appearance and texture, and it also has enough freshness and tart fruit flavors to assure a long aging trajectory ahead.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
Born from the estate's oldest Merlot vines, the Tua Rita 2018 Redigaffi is a phenomenal achievement. Thanks to the long growing season that allowed the grapes ample time to ripen, this edition shows impressive depth and intensity of flavors. Black cherry, plum and sweet baking and barbecue spice are dosed carefully, but generously. The main attraction here is the mouthfeel, which achieves richness, plush softness and concentration in a most natural and convincing manner. The wine is absolutely seamless from start to its very long finish, and its playlist of positive attributes endures for as long as there is wine in the bottle. With so many successful vintages behind it, Redigaffi is a wine that nails its primary objectives year after year. In that sense, it is extremely reliable and consistent. This is one of the icon wines of Italy, although its sibling, the Syrah Per Sempre, strikes a more profound chord in my heart. Dare I say it: Redigaffi is the Prince William and Per Sempre is the Prince Harry of Tuscan wine. Some 13,800 bottles will be filled, and this wine is set to release in October 2020.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
I tasted this wine a few months ago before it was bottled. Coming back to the 2018 Redigaffi now cements the very favorable impression made by this current release. Old-vine Merlot imparts rich and thick density with a beautiful bouquet of dark fruit, black cherry, cedar, spice and light mahogany smoke. What I notice most about the wine now is the delicate balance of the mouthfeel. You get ample power here. Redigaffi is always distinguished by its compelling intensity, but the wine remains elegant and lithe nonetheless. I would expect it to evolve beautifully with many soft and shifting incarnations along the way.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
A very refined red with super integrated tannins and polished and caressing texture. Medium to full body. Tight and focused. Gorgeous finish.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Lots of chocolate and berries, as well as spice, walnuts and vanilla. It’s full and layered. Extremely long and flavorful. So juicy and sexy. Luscious is the word. Opulent with polish and presence. Chewy at the end. Brightness and energy here. Try after 2022.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Very attractive nose of peaches, plums, roses, nutmeg, hazelnuts and vanilla. Creamy, polished and velvety, with a full body and very fine, firm tannins. Silky. Long and beautiful. 100% merlot. Drink from 2023.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Aromas of walnuts and bark with some toasted oak and red fruit. Tapenade and violets, too. Changes all the time. This is full-bodied with lots of richness and concentration. Impressive weight and density. Takes no prisoners, but maintains freshness. Best after 2026.
About the Producer
In 1984 Rita and Virgilio realized their lifelong dream purchasing the property that became Tua Rita. The landscape and buildings on this property were a mere setting for living in contact with nature whilst farming their beloved land. Their overwhelming passion for wine actually changed their plans. The original two hectares of vineyards have been cultivated meticulously since the beginning, this rigorous and passionate care collocated Tua Rita among the most successful producers labeled as “vins de garage”. In less than a decade they had extended the property up to nine hectares, then twenty; nowadays the totality of the planted vines includes thirty hectares. Growth has been driven by Rita and Virgilio’s enduring enthusiasm and an ever-deepening awareness of the potential of this estate in the area, between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Colline Metallifere, known as Val di Cornia. On one hand the estate and the cellar had being steadily growing driven by Rita and Virgilio’s extreme commitment. On the other hand thanks to Stefano Frascolla, married to the owners’ daughter Simena, the winery’s brand awareness was expanding rapidly. Simena also got involved in the family-run business after Virgilio’s death in 2010. The estate’s name derives from the inversion of Rita Tua’s first and last name.
