2015 Tassinaia

The 2015 Tassinaia is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, now with an element of Syrah. The wine is fermented partly in steel and partly in oak and brings a breeze of spice from the get-go. This second-level red from Castello del Terriccio offers plenty of rich, exuberant and succulent fruit. I imagine it will open nicely over the next few years. Tassinaia is a selection of fruit from different vineyard parcels.

Equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. 12 months in new French tonneaux. Mid crimson. There is something so Tuscan about this wine – its tangy bite – that I am not sure I would identify the varieties blind apart from an elegant cedary cassis note. Fine, sandy tannins. Elegant and the fruit eats the oak, though the oak has perhaps thickened the texture. Needs time. (JH)