Tua Rita
Merlot Redigaffi 2024
| Denomination | IGT Toscana |
|---|---|
| Size | 0,75 l |
| Alcohol content | 15.0% by volume |
| Area | Tuscany (Italy) |
| Grape varieties | 100% Merlot |
| Aging | Aged for 18–20 months in first-fill French oak barriques with a medium toast; bottled in the summer and left to rest in the bottle for several months before commercialisation. |
- Grape variety and origin: 100% Merlot from Suvereto, Upper Maremma, IGT Tuscany
- Aromatic characteristics: wild berries, spices, cocoa, notes of tobacco and liquorice
- Structure on the palate: full-bodied and persistent taste, refined and intense tannins, balanced fruitiness
- Ageing: 18–20 months in new medium-toast French oak barriques
- Food pairing: serve at 16–18 °C (decanted for 1 hour) with red meats, game and matured cheeses
Description
Type of wine
Tua Rita's Redigaffi Merlot is a red wine with an Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) status that embodies the essence of Tuscany, fermented in truncated-conical vats and aged in French oak barrels. On the nose, it reveals dark forest fruits and balsamic notes, embellished with spices, cocoa, and fresh leather. The palate offers a structured and persistent sip, supported by an elegant and concentrated tannic texture, with hints of tobacco and liquorice. This Merlot pairs perfectly with roast pheasant and mature cheeses.
Origin
This Merlot is born in Suvereto, in Upper Maremma, amongst the picturesque Colline Metallifere. The vineyards are cultivated at an altitude of one hundred metres using the spurred cordon system, benefiting from high planting density to favour cluster concentration. The wine's identity stems from distinctly clayey soils, characterised by a clear presence of rock fragments. The metal-rich soil gives the wine a deep mineral identity, while integrated pest management ensures careful and sustainable viticulture.
How it is produced
Production begins in September with a careful manual harvest, selecting the best bunches in the vineyard. Fermentation takes place in truncated-conical vats for about a month, followed by post-fermentation maceration to optimise polyphenolic extraction. Ageing continues in new French oak barrels with medium toasting for a period of between eighteen and twenty months, enriching the overall structure. Patient resting in the cellar completes the journey of this structured and long-lived red.
History and trivia
Born in 1994 from the intuition of Rita and Virgilio, this 100% Merlot takes its name from the stream that flows near the historic Suvereto estate. The bold choice to vinify it as a pure varietal and age it in new French oak barriques has established it as an absolute cult wine, renowned for being the first Italian wine to achieve 100/100 from Robert Parker. An oenological work of art that enchants enthusiasts, ensuring exceptional longevity and the ability to evolve majestically in the bottle for up to 25 years.
Awards
-
2024
97/100
James Suckling is an influential American wine critic and journalist who worked at Wine Spectator for 30 years. He left the magazine in 2010 to start his own website and guidebook (JamesSuckling.com). He specialises in Italian and Bordeaux wines.
Tasting notes
Perfume
Color
Taste
Serve at:
14 -16 °C
Longevity:
10 - 15 years
Decanting time:
1 hour
- Start up year: 1984
- Oenologist: Luca D'Attoma
- Bottles produced: 350.000
- Hectares: 51
It was this enthusiasm that pushed them to focus their energies and means to exploit the great potential hidden by that small plot of land at that time.
The farm, located in Loc Notre Suvereto, lies about 100 meters. above sea level and has made medium-textured soils, clay, rich in micronutrients such as iron and zinc that distinguish the wines of "mineral terroir" and where the International varieties find a very favorable environment.
The couple had a happy intuition planting Merlot and Cabernet because of the two wines Giusto di Notri was born in 1992, which immediately caught the attention of the national and International press for its depth and 'Tuscan-ness' in the glass.
It was later decided to leave two barrels of Merlot and vinify it alone: in 1994 the Redigaffi will become a cult wine, the first Italian wine to obtain 100/100 by Robert Parker with the 2000 vintage, capable of making Tua Rita one of the 100 best wineries in the world according to the prestigious Revue du Vin de France.
This marked the beginning of an escalation of success for Tua Rita, which over the years led to the expansion and modernisation of the cellar; thanks to the collaboration of her son-in-law Stefano Frascolla (owner of the winery of the same name) and oenologist Dr. Stefano Chioccioli. Today the company extends to about 50 hectares, 30 hectares of which are planted with vines, while production stands at 110,000 bottles, divided between 5 red and 2 white wines. Read more
| Name | Tua Rita Merlot Redigaffi 2024 |
|---|---|
| Type | Red green still |
| Denomination | Toscana IGT |
| Vintage | 2024 |
| Size | 0,75 l |
| Alcohol content | 15.0% by volume |
| Grape varieties | 100% Merlot |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Vendor | Tua Rita |
| Story | History and trivia Born in 1994 from the intuition of Rita and Virgilio, this 100% Merlot takes its name from the stream that flows near the historic Suvereto estate. The bold choice to vinify it as a pure varietal and age it in new French oak barriques has established it as an absolute cult wine, renowned for being the first Italian wine to achieve 100/100 from Robert Parker. An oenological work of art that enchants enthusiasts, ensuring exceptional longevity and the ability to evolve majestically in the bottle for up to 25 years. |
| Origin | Suvereto (Livorno), Tuscany, Italy |
| Soil composition | Distinctly clayey with a medium to high presence of rock fragments; in the higher vineyards there is more rock, in the lower ones more silt; in the central section (Merlot) there is more clay. |
| Cultivation system | Spurred cordon |
| Plants per hectare | 8,500 |
| Harvest | Second to third week of September |
| Fermentation | 25–30 days |
| Production technique | Fermentation using traditional methods at controlled temperatures in truncated conical vats; aged for 18–20 months in first-fill, medium-toast French oak barriques; rested in the bottle for several months. |
| Wine making | Carefully selected and hand-harvested grapes: temperature-controlled fermentation in truncated conical vats for 25–30 days (traditional methods), with post-fermentation maceration for 25 days; ageing for 18–20 months in first-fill medium-toast French oak barriques, then bottled in summer and left to rest in the bottle for several months before release. |
| Aging | Aged for 18–20 months in first-fill French oak barriques with a medium toast; bottled in the summer and left to rest in the bottle for several months before commercialisation. |
| Allergens | Contains sulphites |