2023 Perlato del Bosco

Proprietor Stefano Frascolla and his son, Giovanni, presented a stellar set of wines at Tua Rita. I suppose it is only natural that readers will want to check out the top selections in the range. Even so, it would be a shame to skip over the entry-level offerings, all of which are superb and terrific values. These wines, to me, are the truest sign of an estate’s seriousness. I have a slight preference for the 2022s over the 2023s, as the 2022s have more textural richness and better balance. Conditions were warm, but not extreme by standards in this stretch of the Tuscan Coast. Late-season rains led Tua Rita to harvest some parcels early, while later-ripening varieties benefited from rain and extended maturation that resulted in some parcels being picked into October. The 2023s, on the other hand, strike me as a bit light, most likely because of a combination of disease pressure in spring, rain throughout the season and a relatively large crop that required green harvesting.