2023 Tua Rita - Toscana Rosso IGT Giusto di Notri (750ml)

Tua Rita is a Tuscan estate based in Suvereto, in the Maremma coastal area, best known for launching its cult wine Redigaffi in the early 1990s. Giusto di Notri, named for the local patron saint and the estate's own location, was actually the winery's first commercial release, predating the more famous Merlot. Over the decades the winery has built its reputation on a small handful of intensely crafted reds, with Giusto di Notri remaining one of its defining bottlings after more than thirty vintages.

This Bordeaux-style blend is led by Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller portions of Cabernet Franc and Merlot rounding out the composition, a proportion the estate has shifted over time toward more Cabernet Franc for added finesse. The grapes grow on loamy, stone-rich soils, with the Merlot planted on clay in the vineyard's center. In the 2023 vintage, cooler soils and seasonal rain helped preserve fresh acidity, and the winemaking team used a gentle, infusion-like fermentation with minimal pump-overs to build structure without heavy extraction, followed by around eighteen months in French barrique.

The wine shows dark red and purplish fruit alongside notes of new leather, rose petal, cedar, and mocha, with silky, well-integrated tannins carrying through to a long finish. It shows real finesse and polish, though a couple of years in the cellar should let it soften further.