2015 - Baffonero Rosso, Rocca Frassinello

This is a wine of lofty ambitions and soaring promises. At this price point, it would be impossible to expect less. The 2015 Maremma Toscana Baffonero (100% Merlot) is indeed a beautiful and persuasive wine. It opens to an inky dark color with rich concentration and a full-bodied approach. It flows over the palate with enriched texture. The finish is smooth, seamless and powerful. This vintage is coming together nicely despite the evidently ripe and sweet quality of fruit. Cherry liqueur, blackberry preserves, cinnamon and honey-roasted almond emerge from the bouquet.

The 2015 Baffonero, the estate's 100% Merlot, is classy and polished from start to finish. Chocolate, plum and leather appear first, followed by beautifully lifted scents of star anise, white chocolate, orange peel and spice. Stylistically, the 2015 is quite a bit more restrained than most prior vintages. It will be interesting to see if that is reflection of the year or representative of where the wine will goi in coming vintages.

Fresh start but quite sweet, dusty fruit that seems just a little too ripe. Very different style from the 2014 – fighting against ripeness and I’m not sure it's won. (JR)