Tua Rita Redigaffi, Tuscany 2016

Mark writes…’every now and again, you encounter a wine that is new, unknown, that stops you in your tracks when you first taste it. And when such a wine stops you when you are tasting 200 other wines on the same day you think ‘that must be pretty amazing’. From a small Merlot vineyard first planted in 1994, only 15km from the sea, this wine illustrates how utterly perfect these coastal Tuscan sites are for Bordeaux varietals. Deep in colour with a bouquet that is compelling in its beauty and intensity, then the palate unfolds into a panoply of damson, mocha and a subtle blend of spices with pronounced but velvet tannins. Crazy to even suggest it, but you could enjoy the wine now, though really you should keep for at least 10 to 15 years.