The Barone Ricasoli 2019 Casalferro flaunts its potential in a classic vintage. Made with all Merlot, the wine's DNA is shaped by the variety, but territory also plays a huge role in this presentation. You know you are drinking a wine from Tuscany thanks to a delicate flutter of aromas that includes wild cherry, purple fruits, violet and spice. This wine lends an Italian personality to a French grape.

During my visit to Barone Ricasoli, Francesco Ricasoli described the 2018 vintage as challenging and 2019 as balanced. The 2018 Casalferro, made from 100% Merlot, takes on that challenge. The last vintage we saw was 2016, because this wine was not produced in the scorching hot 2017 vintage. In fact, this edition was released later than normal and the price point is higher. The bottle sports a new design. Cool-climate fruit, sourced from various sites, including one that is located 500 meters above sea level, is the Casalferro secret. It delivers vertical power and intensity with dark fruit, spice and dried mint. This wine is drinking beautifully right now.

The Barone Ricasoli 2016 Casalferro puts a purely Tuscan fingerprint on the Merlot grape. From a classic vintage that was especially favorable for an early-ripening variety such as this, the wine is beautifully tonic and tightly wound initially, although it cedes and expands quite elegantly onto the palate. The bouquet opens gracefully to dark cherry, blackberry, spice, leather and tar. These elements are balanced and weighed against each other with just the right intensity.