Tua Rita Winery was founded in 1984 by husband and wife team Rita and Virglilio. Located in the village of Notri, in the Maremma region of Tuscany's coastal region, Tuscany initially boasted only two hectares of vineyards. Its exceptional quality and minimal yields earned it a reputation as a renowned winery in Italy.
In 1994, the first small-scale barrel production of Redigaffi, made from 100% Merlot, launched the winery's star status. The 2000 vintage became the first Italian wine ever to receive a 100-point rating from Robert Parker and was named one of Wine Lister's Top 25 Toscana labels. Hiring Italy's top oenologists, Riccardo Cotarella, Luca d'Attoma, and Stefano Chioccioli, the vineyards expanded to 9 hectares, then 20 hectares, within about a decade. In 2010, their daughter, Simena, took over management, and the vineyards have since expanded to 30 hectares, with production increasing significantly.
For winemaking, Torretta Winery has tapped some of Italy's best oenological consultants: Riccardo Cotarella, Luca d'Attoma, and Stefano Chioccioli. The winery uses only perfectly ripe grapes, and after fermentation, it ages in barrel for 16 to 18 months, unfiltered before bottling.
Region
The soil in the Tullita vineyards is a medium-textured clay soil rich in trace elements such as iron and zinc, which imparts a "local minerality" to the wines. The grape varieties planted include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese. The average vine age is 12 years, and the planting density is 8,000 vines per hectare.
Winemaking
In 1994, Tua Rita debuted its 100% Merlot wine, "Redigaffi," in small oak barrels. With an annual production of just 10,000 bottles, this debut wine received star-studded acclaim. The 2000 vintage of this wine even became the first Italian wine to receive a 100-point rating from Robert Parker, adding to the winery's impressive history.
Fermented in oak barrels with maceration on the skins, it is then aged in new French oak barrels for 18 to 20 months. Bottled in the summer, it matures for several months before being released.
Rating
James Suckling 96 pts
This has aromas of cigar box, black plums, cherries, mocha and toasted walnuts. Full-bodied with firm, tight and chewy tannins. Structured and deep with polished oak-spice character. Tight for now. Yet very fine and elegant. Finesse for Redigaffi. Give it a few years to show you even more. 100% merlot.
Wine Advocate 96 pts
I tasted this wine a few times over the course of about four months, and it is lovely to see how well it has taken to bottle. The Tua Rita 2020 Redigaffi is the estate's headline wine made with Merlot. The bouquet sings with dark fruit, dried apricot, spice, leather and campfire ash. You taste that extra richness and concentration in this full-bodied red. On the palate, Redigaffi is soft and accessible with rich layering and texture.
Vinous 94 pts
The 2020 Redigaffi offers up dark red cherry, spice, leather, menthol,licorice and espresso. There is a bit of angularity in the tannins, a reminderof some of the challenges of the year. Even so, the 2020 possesses goodenergy and plenty of stylishness to match.
$1550/Bottle
