Tenuta Guado Al Tasso - Marchesi Antinori - Bolgheri Superiore 2019 (750ml)

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Producer	Tenuta Guado Al Tasso - Marchesi Antinori
Country	Italy
Region	Tuscany
Subregion	Bolgheri
Varietal	Cabernet Sauvignon,  Merlot,  Cabernet Franc,  Petit Verdot
Vintage	2019
Sku	37869
Size	750ml

 

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Tenuta Guado al Tasso is located in the small but prestigious Bolgheri DOC, on the coast of upper Maremma, about one hundred kilometers southwest from Florence. This appellation has a relatively recent history, DOC Bolgheri was approved in 1994 and since then it has become an internationally recognized reference point for the Italian and international winemaking arena. The estate covers an area of about 320 hectares (790 acres) planted with vines, set in a beautiful plain encircled by rolling hillsides known as the "Bolgheri Amphitheatre" due to its particular shape. The noble Della Gherardesca family began practicing viticulture in the late 1600’s on their land in Bolgheri, but things really began to change under the guidance of Guido Alberto Della Gherardesca (1780-1854). He was a passionate about viticulture. He was appointed majordomo of Grand Duke Leopold II and then dedicated himself to enology in his family’s land in Maremma. In the 1930’s, the property was inherited by Carlotta Della Gherardesca Antinori (Piero Antinori’s mother) and her sister who was married to Mario Incisa Della Rocchetta (who received the nearby Tenuta San Guido). The vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Vermentino grapes; this last cultivated with both with white and red varieties. The nearby sea provides a mild climate with constant breezes that mitigate summer heat and alleviate harsh winter weather, maintaining a clear sky and a high level of sunlight exposure. The area's alluvial soils, which vary from sandy-clay to silty-clay rich in agglomerate from Bolgheri (a very fine gravel), influence the character and personality of the varietals grown and give them a distinctive territorial identity.

Guado al Tasso 2019 is a captivating blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and a touch of Petit Verdot grown in the enchanting Bolgheri Amphitheater. This unique microclimate, created by the plain encircled by rolling hillsides facing the Tyrrhenian Sea, provides the ideal conditions for the grapes to develop pronounced aromas and achieve perfect ripeness. The 2019 vintage experienced a relatively cold spring followed by a hot, dry summer, resulting in lighter, loosely packed clusters. Stable, sunny weather in August and September allowed the grapes to reach full maturity under optimal conditions.

In the cellar, meticulous sorting ensured that only the finest berries reached the fermentation vats. Each vineyard parcel was vinified separately in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for 15-20 days. The wine then underwent malolactic fermentation in barriques before the final blend was selected and aged in new French oak until bottling in June 2021.

The 2019 Guado al Tasso is an intense ruby red color, with a rich and alluring nose featuring notes of tobacco, licorice, plums, and balsamic sensations, complemented by light, elegant aromas of toasted coffee. On the palate, the wine displays aromatic precision and purity, with a persistent and savory character. The tannins are of outstanding quality, providing a pleasant mid-palate and finish. This vintage has great aging potential and showcases the complex and elegant terroir of Bolgheri, where the vines are grown on alluvial soils ranging from clay-sand to clay-loam with rocky deposits known as "scheletro."

This has a wild and perfumed nose of dried thyme, sage, blackberries, cocoa, graphite and white and green peppercorns. Then dried flowers. Full-bodied with firm, tight and precise tannins. Vibrant. There’s so much character and structure. A new benchmark for this winery. More cabernet franc than in the past. Best yet? 65% cabernet sauvignon, 25% cabernet franc and 10% merlot. Try from 2025.

The ample richness of the 2019 Guado al Tasso is balanced with great energy that drives through the core of this wine. Polished, with aromas of black plum, graphite, cedar, and leather, it is ripe and full-bodied, with good tannins and a linear drive but a long finish. This remarkable wine will benefit from cellaring. Drink 2025-2045.

I've been tracking the increasing percentage of Cabernet Franc in the blend of this iconic Tuscan wine. The 2019 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso is made with 25% Cabernet Franc, with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot. That this heat-resistant grape now makes up a quarter of the blend speaks to how vintners are gearing up to counter climate change. These are intelligent choices, and you can count on this wine to maintain that level of extreme elegance and intensity that it is known for (even when Merlot was a bigger part of the blend). Indeed, this is a new and improved Guado al Tasso with focused aromas of pencil shaving, white pepper and crushed stone that frame a rich core of black fruit. A fluttering of dried mint gives lift and power to the bouquet. This is a beautifully linear and powerful red blend.  Monica Larner

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot. Ageing: 16 months in barriques. 
Bright, dense crimson. Rich and lively – no doubt this is on the warm coast rather than inland and uphill but it does taste Tuscan. There’s a light mintiness, but lots of interest too. A complete wine with a beginning, middle and end.