ROCCA DI FRASSINELLO RELEASES BAFFONERO 2018
After having sold out Baffonero 2017 in a few months, the new vintage of Rocca di Frassinello 100% Merlot finally has been released.
The 2018 season in Maremma Toscana was particularly favorable. Winter saw abundant rainfall that fed the underground water reserves. A colder spring slightly delayed the onset of bud break without, however, causing frosts in the crucial period of development of the young shoots. Subsequently, the hot summer allowed the grapes a magnificent evolution until they reached a perfect phenolic ripeness. The sun and the sea breezes, which accompanied the whole period up to the harvest, together with a good temperature range between day and night, allowed to maintain a high acidity and to obtain a perfect maturity of the pyrazines and other aromatic molecules of Merlot.
In the glass, Baffonero 2018 shows an impenetrable ruby red color revealing a wide range of aromas: black fruits, in particular blackberry and blueberry, and balsamic notes of eucalyptus and tobacco, with slight hints of coffee. In the mouth it is elegant, revealing silky tannins, and pleasant thanks to a marked acidity, with a particularly persistent finish.
Baffonero 2018 has already convinced the most authoritative wine critics, resulting on the 7th place of the ranking of the best italians red wines obtained from the adding up the ratings of the main Italian wine guides and those of the four most authoritative international evaluators. According to Antonio Galloni of Vinous, who awarded the new vintage with 97 points: “The 2018 Baffonero is a worthy follow up to the 2017. Whereas so many 2018s lean towards the more gracious end of the spectrum, Baffonero packs quite a punch, albeit in the slightly more restrained style of the year. Inky, exotically ripe dark fruit, bittersweet chocolate, spice, new leather and lavender all build as this exuberant, Maremma red shows off its undeniable allure”.
BELOW THE BEST SCORES AWARDED TO BAFFONERO 2018
Baffonero takes its name from a very special vineyard of just 3 ha, with a perfect exposure and a medium-clay soil very rich in galestro skeleton, where the clones of Merlot coming from Château Lafite have been planted to give birth to a very top quality limited production.
The name Baffonero is inspired by a typical story of the Maremma area, based on wild boar hunting. The men and dogs that take part in the hunt gather just a short walk from the vineyard, ready to challenge the ruler of the woods. The Huntmaster has a nickname: he is called “Baffonero”. Today, Baffonero sums up not only these stories, but also the power and seemingly concealed elegance of a unique land such as the Maremma Toscana.
An exclusive club is dedicated to Baffonero lovers, which reserves a range of benefits, including the possibility of buying new vintages en primeur. Join the CLUB!
Tags: Baffonero, Baffonero 2018, Baffonero Club, Domini Castellare di Castellina, Rocca di Frassinello, Supertuscan