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This wine begins the same way Redigaffi always has, with a site that refuses to behave like the rest of Tuscany. The Merlot vines, first planted in 1988, sit in clay-rich soils laced with minerals and veins of pink marble, a rare geological mix that gives the wine both weight and tension. Add the constant shifts in microclimate and you get fruit that ripens fully without losing its edge.

Redigaffi is 100% Merlot, named after the small stream that runs alongside the vineyard. It is a single-minded wine by design, shaped by place rather than blending. That focus has defined Tua Rita’s philosophy from the beginning.

When Rita and Virgilio Bisti quietly set aside two Merlot barriques in 1994, they were not chasing recognition. They were responding to what the vineyard gave them. That instinct led to history, making Redigaffi the first Italian wine ever to receive a perfect 100-point score from Robert Parker and establishing it as a benchmark for Italian Merlot.

In the cellar, the approach mirrors the vineyard. Careful extraction, long aging, and patience over polish allow the wine to build naturally. Power is there, but it is controlled. Texture comes before show. Everything is done to let the site speak clearly.

The 2023 Redigaffi shows a deep, saturated ruby color. Aromatically, it opens with black cherry, blackberry, and ripe plum, followed by notes of graphite, balsamic herbs, and warm earth. On the palate, the wine is dense and focused, driven by dark fruit and mineral grip, with firm yet refined tannins. Hints of cocoa, spice, and stone emerge through the mid-palate, carrying into a long, composed finish that stays precise rather than heavy.

This is not a Merlot made to imitate anything else. It is a wine built on conviction, restraint, and a vineyard that keeps proving itself. Once tasted, it is easy to understand why Redigaffi changed how people think about Italian Merlot.

ABV: 14.5%

• 3 bottles of 2023 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT
  
  

Powerful, bright ruby red colour. Intense nose with appealing notes of cedar wood, blueberry, blackberry and cassis, Mediterranean herbs in the background. Tightly structured, earthy and deep on the palate, with plenty of rich berry fruit, grippy tannins and balsamic notes on the finish. ~ 98 Falstaff

Precise and subtle aromas of black olives, brambleberries, sandalwood, iodine and oyster shells with a hint of meat. Medium- to full-bodied with tannins that run the length of the wine and show a compact and structured sensibility and wonderful length and finesse. Focused, with a classy texture. So long, continuous, graceful and refined. 100% merlot. Sustainable. Give it two or three years to come completely together. ~ 98 James Suckling

The 2023 Redigaffi is laced with super-ripe dark fruit, truffle, dried herbs, licorice and mocha. Already quite open and delicate, the 2023 gives the impression of a wine that is ready to drink and that will likely mature at a slightly faster clip relative to the norm here. ~ 94 Vinous Media

Substitutions of featured wines may be made at BHW's discretion.