Tua Rita Redigaffi 2021

100 points Ian D'Agata (Terroir Sense): "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. (Apr 2024)"

99 points & '#20 Top 100 Italian Wines of 2023' James 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. Try after 2028. (11/28/23)"

98 points James Button (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. Drinking Window: 2024-2041. (12/8/23)"

96+ points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "[$270 list] The Tua Rita 2021 Redigaffi is a wine of thick character and dark extraction. This 100% expression of Merlot offers tension and extreme balance with very generous layers of dark cherry, plum, dried blackberry, spice and tobacco. It displays a spectacularly soft and velvety texture over a full-bodied approach. Redigaffi is often monolithic and monotone in its younger years, and it needs more bottle age to come into focus. This is very true for the 2021 vintage. Drink: 2025-2045. (3/21/24)"

96 points Falstaff: "Dark ruby red colour. Fine black cherry on the nose, along with subtle yeasty tones, brown bread, black currants, noble wood, cold smoke. Great texture on the palate, spreads widely over the tongue, with savoury fruit and rich tannins, flamboyant, with some wood impact, still very young, needs time. Alcohol 15.5%. (10/16/23)"