2013 Redigaffi 7, Tua Rita, Tuscany, Italy

There's a lot to say here, so let me start at the beginning. The 2013 Redigaffi 7 Magnum is a special-release wine, produced only in magnum to celebrate the 20th anniversary which was in 2013) of this iconic expression of Tuscan Merlot. A precious few 420 magnums were produced, and the price tag is nothing to sneeze at. I will also say that I struggled to score this wine, and I nursed my magnum, my single sample, for as long as I could, tasting the wine blind, in a flight of peers, in different glasses and at various intervals after the bottle was open.

I spent a lot of time contemplating my thoughts and impressions, and ultimately, that in itself is what convinced me to give it a two-digit score rather than a three-digit one. Awarding the perfect score is often an illumination that requires very little thought at all and if you think about it too long, you nurture a doubt, the original sin of wine tasting. However, if the next critic went with a 100-point score for this wine, I would be in absolute agreement on every intellectual level.

Drink 2022 - 2050

2020 bottles made.

Aromas of dried herbs, currants and berries with hints of wet earth. Meaty undertones. White truffle. Full-bodied, dense and layered with loads of berry and plum character, as well as walnut shell and tobacco. Dark berries at the end. Needs time to come completely together. A limited-edition wine from merlot vineyards planted in 1988.