2000 Redigaffi

The prodigious, unfined/unfiltered, inky/purple-colored 2000 Redigaffi (a 400-case 100% Merlot cuvee) is a wine of extraordinary distinction and intensity. It boasts a fabulous perfume of melted licorice mixed with high quality espresso roast, black cherry and currant liqueur, white flowers, and toast. Boasting great intensity, glorious ripeness, formidable purity, and a finish that lasts nearly a minute, this is the stuff of dreams! Its dry extract number is about as high as one will find in a dry red wine. Additionally, its 14.8% alcohol is incredibly well-concealed beneath the wealth of glycerin and fruit. A brilliant achievement! Kudos to winemaker Stefano Chioccioli and proprietors Rita Tua and Vegilio Bisti. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2018.||A Leonardo Locascio Selection, Winebow, Hohokus, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620 Wine Advocate.December, 2002

Tua Rita's 2000 Redigaffi has taken a big leap forward in its evolution. The wine is infused with black fruit, prune and blackberry preserves that come together to form an inky appearance and chewy consistency. Beyond those fruit tones are equally robust aromas of Teriyaki sauce, barbecue smoke and exotic spice. Redigaffi is a pure expression of Merlot and it delivers condensed, thickly extracted and syrupy aromas some 15 years after the harvest. The wine is like a time capsule that takes us back to a time when this richer and more opulent style was so enthusiastically embraced. My feeling is that the wine has not aged as steadily as was once predicted. Upon initial release, Robert Parker had given this wine 100 points, and if I'm not mistaken I believe it was the second Italian wine to earn such an honor after the 1985 Sassicaia. Since then, it has shed much of its fruit and has become more defined by its oak spice and tangy cedar. In the mouth, the wine shows abundant texture with integrated tannins. Jan 2016, www.robertparker.com