1994 Redigaffi

Our historic retrospective of one of Italy's most celebrated Merlots sets off in the right direction with this inaugural release. The Tua Rita 1994 Redigaffi is still very much alive. It was born in a vintage that is remembered for shifting temperature highs and lows. There are hardly any baked or dehydrated aromas, and the wine delivers an impressive intensity of perfumes with black plum, minty herb and rose potpourri. You might expect flat fruit for a 28-year-old Merlot, but instead you are met by pleasant opulence and sweet highlights in the mouth. The wine scored 93 points when first reviewed by Robert Parker, and he gave it a drinking window that took it from 1997 to 2012. Today, the 1994 vintage enjoys a compatible score, in my opinion, with a much longer drink date.