The prodigious, unfined/unfiltered, inky/purple-colored 2000 Redigaffi (a 400-case 100% Merlot cuvee) is a wine of extraordinary distinction and intensity. It boasts a fabulous perfume of melted licorice mixed with high quality espresso roast, black cherry and currant liqueur, white flowers, and toast. Boasting great intensity, glorious ripeness, formidable purity, and a finish that lasts nearly a minute, this is the stuff of dreams! Its dry extract number is about as high as one will find in a dry red wine. Additionally, its 14.8% alcohol is incredibly well-concealed beneath the wealth of glycerin and fruit. A brilliant achievement! Kudos to winemaker Stefano Chioccioli and proprietors Rita Tua and Vegilio Bisti. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2018.A Leonardo Locascio Selection, Winebow, Hohokus, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620

This wine would make Italian wine history when Robert Parker awarded it a perfect 100-point score. The Tua Rita 2000 Redigaffi would guarantee a place for coastal Tuscany on a world map of fine wine. Despite the wine's many deserved accolades, I must admit that the two surrounding vintages, the 1999 and the 2001, also come out roaring in this retrospective, and it's hard to pick a favorite among the three. This expression from 2000 has an especially bright and lifted bouquet with a hint of dried mint, forest floor or poblano pepper softly present throughout. Parker teaches us that mint is often an aromatic quality associated with fine Merlot, and that point is made beautifully by this bottle.