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• Score: 94 Vintage 2020 Wine Spectator Dark and dense, this red reveals blackberry, blueberry, plum and smoky oak aromas and flavors. Fluid, with a dense matrix of tannins and bright acidity for support. Long, spicy, mouthwatering finish. This just needs a little time to knit. Merlot. Best from 2025 through 2040. 300 cases made, 100 cases imported. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 94 Vintage 2020 Wine Spectator Dark and dense, this red reveals blackberry, blueberry, plum and smoky oak aromas and flavors. Fluid, with a dense matrix of tannins and bright acidity for support. Long, spicy, mouthwatering finish. This just needs a little time to knit. Merlot. Best from 2025 through 2040. 300 cases made, 100 cases imported. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 93 Vintage 2019 James Suckling A velvety-textured red with lots of black-olive, raspberry and violet character. Medium-to full-bodied. Poised and energetic merlot. Drinkable now, but better in two or three years. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 93 Vintage 2019 Vinous Media The 2019 Baffonero is suave and elegant. Blackberry, mocha, espresso, cinnamon and a touch of new French oak open nicely. In 2019, Baffonero is a bit less opulent than it can be, but it makes up for that with its silkiness and persistence. Best of all, it will be ready to drink with minimal cellaring. In 2019, winemaker Alessandro Cellai reduced time in oak from 24 to 19 months and increased time in cement prior to bottling from two to six months, a choice that worked out very, very well. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 97 Vintage 2018 Vinous Media 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. Baffonero, 100% Merlot, emerges from a 3.5 hectares planted in 1999, which have recently been supplanted by another hectare or so of vineyards. In 2018, a cool growing season without excessive heat, rare in this part of Tuscany, resulted in a long growing cycle. There was some rain early on, especially during flowering, but that, along with moderate temperatures, helped the vines from going into heat stress, which is always the risk on the Tuscan coast. Harvest for the Merlot was about ten days later than normal. The 2018 was vinified in cement, followed by malolactic fermentation in barrel. Aging was 18-20 months in French oak, about 80% new. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 94 Vintage 2018 Wine Advocate Certainly the most expensive wine in this tasting, the Rocca di Frassinello 2018 Maremma Toscana Baffonero is a wine of big ambitions. However, it follows an old stylebook that sees Merlot presented in a very rich, voluptuous and extracted style that is beginning to tire the market. The wine is impeccably made, with lots of dark cherry, cedarwood and smoky mahogany. With 15% alcohol, it has embraced the sunshine along the Tuscan Coast. If you're in the mood for an inky, rich, warm-climate Merlot, Baffonero is for you. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 93 Vintage 2018 James Suckling Dense aromas of wild blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and sweet spices. It’s full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins. Rich, meaty and structured with a long, flavorful finish. Drink from 2023. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 93 Vintage 2018 Wine Spectator This red exhibits a savory side as much as dark cherry and plum fruit, revealing wild herb, tobacco and iron flavors. There are also sweet spice accents before this gives way to a tannic grip on the finish. Best from 2023 through 2033. 400 cases made, 100 cases imported. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 96 Vintage 2017 Vinous Media The 2017 Baffonero is a wild, beautiful wine. Deep, dark and exquisitely layered, with striking inner perfume, the 2017 has been nothing short of fabulous in several recent tastings. It balances power, silkiness and depth with tons of stylishness. Succulent black cherry, mocha, spice, new leather and licorice build over time. The 2017 is easily the best Baffonero yet. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 94 Vintage 2017 James Suckling Violets, rich black cherries and a melange of fresh herbs. Full-bodied with lots of crushed black fruit and fine, silky tannins that carry light licorice and polished vanilla aromas into a long finish. Classy and young. A little linear now, but delicious. This needs a year or two to settle and expand in every direction. 100% Merlot. Delicious wine. Best in 2022. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 91 Vintage 2017 Wine Spectator The new oak flavors of resin and smoke, along with dusty tannins, exert themselves in this red, whose black cherry and plum fruit is buried for now. This turns chunky and lightly astringent on the finish, with fine length and a spicy aftertaste. Merlot. Best from 2021 through 2032. 400 cases made, 100 cases imported Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 93 Vintage 2016 Vinous Media The 2016 Baffonero (100% Merlot) is a polished, elegant wine that also avoids some of the excesses of previous years. In 2016, Baffonero is perfumed and light on its feet. All it needs is a bit more persistence through to the finish. Perhaps that will develop with time in bottle. Today, the 2016 impresses for its balance and sense of poise. This is a very pretty Baffonero. Shelf Talker Full Page Review
• Score: 91 Vintage 2016 Wine Enthusiast This Merlot opens with aromas of ripe dark fruit, cedar and mocha. The structured palate reflects the nose, offering ripe blackberry, espresso, coconut and plum jam alongside fine-grained tannins. Shelf Talker Full Page Review