The 2017 Redigaffi (100% Merlot) is a classic Tua Rita wine. Rich, dense and explosive, the 2017 captures all of the natural exuberance that comes so easily in this southern part of the Tuscan coast. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, spice, new leather and spice abound. Although the 2017 is quite potent, it is also not as extracted or opulent as it can be. I would prefer to drink it over the next decade or so.

2017 had a hot, very dry growing season and the winery had to make a strict selection in the vineyard and take extreme care in the winery during vinification. The 2017 Redigaffi still manages to be beautifully balanced in spite of the challenges of the vintage. On the palate there's beautiful weight and texture with lovely harmony and concentration, though the vintage reveals itself on the finish with a slight dry chalkiness to the tannins. The Tua Rita team had started to focus more on vinifying single plots of vines separately by this point, and whatever the techniques employed, the result is fantastic.

Born in yet another hot vintage on the Tuscan Coast, the 2017 Redigaffi is dark, richly concentrated, textured and soft. It offers a broad collection of plummy dark fruit aromas with cherry preserves, chocolate-covered prunes, grilled rosemary and Indian spice. However, what stands out most in this edition is the power and the firmness of the tannins. This is the proverbial big wine with a capitol B that could use more time in bottle.