2010 Giusto di Notri

This is a terrific set of wines from Tua Rita. Proprietor Stefano Frascolla aims to make wines that drink well early, an approach that has worked beautifully for him over the years. More recently, though, Frascolla has made a determined move towards wines of more finesse, which readers can get a sense of by checking out the entry-level 2012 reds, both of which are terrific. The rest of the 2012 range, which I tasted from barrel, is incredibly promising. These are the first wines made entirely by consulting oenologist Luca D'Attoma who is back at Tua Rita after a number of years. It is of course quite early, but 2012 could very well turn out to be one of the most compelling vintages made at Tua Rita. Frascolla describes 2010 as an excellent year at the outset, but more uneven later in the season, especially during August, which was not especially sunny. The 2011 season got off to an early start, but the harvest ended up being ahead of schedule only by about a week in a year Frascolla describes as behind defined by events simply having been moved forward in the calendar. Even though 2011 has a reputation for being a warm vintage, Frascolla describes 2012 as hotter, but with greater diurnal swings. Those qualities certainly come through in the wines. The 2010s have firmer tannins and require some bottle age, while the 2011s are more voluptuous and layered, even if they had just been bottle at the time of my visit. As for the 2012s, they may turn out to be some of the very finest wines ever made at Tua Rita.