Tua Rita is a renowned wine producer in Suvereto, Livorno Province on the Tuscan coast of Italy. The estate put the Suvereto DOC on the map and established what became the Suvereto DOCG as a rival to the Bolgheri DOC in the 1990s. Its flagship wine is Redigaffi, considered Italy’s best Merlot. It also makes a Bordeaux blend called Giusto di Notri.

Owner: Rita Tua bought the estate in 1984 with Virgilio. It had 2ha of vines originally. They planted Merlot and Cabernet, creating Giusto di Notri in 1992 which gained favourable press. Their son-in-law Stefano Frascolla aided them. Oenologist Dr. Stefano Chioccioli consulted.

Staff: Stefano Frascolla.

Vineyards: 1984 2ha. | 1990s 9ha. | 2000 20ha. | 2013 30ha

Wine grapes: Mainly Bordeaux grapes (Nicolas Belfrage: 2001, p.155).

Terroir & viticulture: Low, gently sloping hillsides where the soil has a substantial fraction of pebbles and stones as well as clay, silt, sand and – crucially – a generous helping of mineral trace elements including zinc. The vineyards are in fact in the area of Upper Maremma known as the Colline Metallifere, or Metalliferous Hills. This is said to impart iron-like nuances. Single or double cordon with spur pruning. Planting densities vary from 5,000 to 9,000 vines per hectare.

Winery & winemaking: The winery is in Notri in Suvereto. Wooden vats for fermentation. Ageing in barrel.

White wines

Lodano Bianco: Equal parts Traminer, Riesling and Chardonnay. 8,500 vines per hectare. Guyot. Soil: Markedly clayey with a fairly significant pebble fraction. The higher plots are more pebbly, those lower down have more silt. Organic. Average production: 3,000 bottles. Hand picked in to 15-kg cases. Maturation: For about six months in new French barriques. Label: Designed by Raffaele De Rosa. | 1999 Debut.

Perlato del Bosco Bianco: A blend of Trebbiano, Ansonica and Vermentino. 4,000 vines per hectare. Guyot. Soil: Markedly clayey with a fairly significant pebble fraction. The higher plots are more pebbly, those lower down have more silt. Average production: 15,000 bottles. Hand picked in to 15-kg cases. Maturation: steel. Label: Designed by Raffaele De Rosa. | 1992 Debut.

Red wines

Rosso dei Notri Rosso: The entry-level red. 50% Sangiovese, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. 6,000-9,000 vines per hectare. Cordon spur and Guyot. Markedly clayey with a fairly significant pebble fraction. The higher plots are more pebbly, those lower down have more silt. Mid slope, where Merlot is grown, there is a higher fraction of clay. Organic. Average production: 80,000 bottles. Hand picked into 15-kg cases. Maturation: In steel for the Sangiovese, in French barriques for the other varieties. Label: Designed by Raffaele De Rosa. | 2000 Debut.

Giusto di Notri Rosso: A tribute to Justus, the patron saint of Val di Cornia’s capital, the town of Suvereto, and to Tua Rita’s first vineyard, which was planted at Notri. Giusto di Notri is a Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Planting density: 8,500 vines per hectare. Cordon spur. Markedly clayey with a fairly signifi cant pebble fraction. The higher plots are more pebbly, those lower down have more silt. Mid slope, where Merlot is grown, there is a higher fraction of clay. Organic. Average production: 28,000 bottles. Hand picked into 15-kg cases. Maturation: For about 18 months in new and once-used French oak barriques. Label: Designed by Raffaele De Rosa. | 1992 Debut.

Perlato del Bosco Rosso: 1992-2001 harvests: 100% Sangiovese. 2002-2010 harvests: Varying proportions of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. | 2011 100% Sangiovese. 5,000-9,000 vines per hectare. Cordon spur and Guyot. Markedly clayey with a fairly significant pebble fraction. The higher plots are more pebbly, those lower down have more silt. Organic. Average production: 40,000 bottles. Hand picked into 15-kg cases Maturation: 50% in once and twice-used French oak barriques; 50% in 35-hl tapered oak vats. Label: Designed by Raffaele De Rosa. | 

Syrah: 100% Syrah. 8,500 vines per hectare. Cordon spur. Soil: Markedly clayey with a fairly signifi cant pebble fraction. The higher plots are more pebbly, those lower down have more silt. Organic. Average production: 3,000 bottles. Hand picked into 15-kg cases. Maturation: For 20-22 months in new French oak barriques; after going into bottle in the summer, the wine is left to age for several months before release to market. Label: Designed by Raffaele De Rosa. | 2001 Debut.

Redigaffi Rosso: 100% Merlot named after a stream that runs near the estate. Redigaffi has achieved cult status. 8,500 vines per hectare to ensure low yields. Cordon spur. Markedly clayey with a fairly significant pebble fraction. The higher plots are more pebbly, those lower down have more silt. Mid slope, where Merlot is grown, there is a higher fraction of clay. Organic. Average production: 10,000 bottles. The key is selecting the best bunches Stefano Frascolla said at the Decanter Tuscan Masterclass on 10th May 2014. Hand picked into 15-kg cases. Extra long – up to 27 days – maceration with the skins and manual, frequent punchdowns allow for Redigaffi’s outstanding concentration and complexity. Matured 12-16 months in Allier and Tronçais oak barrels for exceptional smoothness. Redigaffi is unfiltered to preserve its plush aromas, and refined in the bottle to ensure the greatest elegance upon release. after going into bottle in the summer, the wine is left to age for several months before release to market. | 1994 Debut. Two barrels made. Became a cult wine. |  2000 The 2000 vintage was the first wine from Italy to be awarded 100 points by Robert Parker. | 2004  Plummy fruit, very ripe at the Decanter Tuscan Masterclass on 10th May 2014. | 2007 Exists. | 2008 Exists. | 2009 Oak, primary fruit, well done but seems to have undergone changes in winemaking since 2004 at the Decanter Tuscan Masterclass on 10th May 2014.

Contact

Azienda Agricola Tua Rita

Loc Notri 8

57025 Suvereto (LI), Italy

Tel+39 0565.829237 | Website: www.tuarita.it