Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Rosso Superiore DOC - Marchesi Antinori - 2020

75 cl

Robert Parker: 96 points

Alcohol content: 14.5% vol.

Grape varieties: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 18% Merlot

Vinification:

The hand-picked grapes are carefully selected and pressed separately as soon as they arrive at the winery. After gentle destemming and crushing of the grapes, the mash ferments in steel tanks. After fermentation, the young wines are matured for one year in new French barriques. This is followed by the blending of the best batches and a further six months of ageing in barriques.

Tasting note:

The Marchesi Antinori 2020 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso has a share of over 30 % Cabernet Franc in this vintage, with Cabernet Sauvignon and 15 to 20 % Merlot making up the rest. Matarocchio was not produced this year, so this wine benefits from the additional Cabernet Franc. The 2019 and 2021 vintages of Guado al Tasso are very concentrated and rich, while the 2020 has a leaner texture, similar to the 2010 vintage we saw. There was rain in September. Managing director Renzo Cotarella says he would not describe 2020 as a hot vintage, as the rain at the end of the growing season was a challenge.

In Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast, bud break is earlier than in other appellations and the growing season is correspondingly longer. This benefits the international grape varieties used here. The wine shows a beautiful fullness and intensity. The Cabernet Franc is clearly noticeable and gives it the characteristic vertical structure and linearity for which this grape variety is known. You get black fruits, spices, white pepper and no sign of bitter stems or blackberries. Sweet, almost milky tannins are interwoven with fresh acidity, giving this wine good ageing potential. The use of new oak has been scaled back somewhat in this vintage.

The Tenuta Guado al Tasso is a world-famous Italian winery owned by a family with a long tradition Marchesi Antinori. It is situated in the prestigious Denomination Bolgheri DOC on the Tuscan coast (Maremma), around 100 kilometres south-west of Florence. The winery is regarded as one of the leading producers of so-called „Super Tuscans“.

Bolgheri Amphitheatre: The approximately 320 hectares of vineyards lie on a plain surrounded by rolling hills and opening out towards the sea.

Climate: The nearby Mediterranean Sea tempers the summer heat, reduces humidity and provides a constant breeze, which perfectly concentrates the grapes’ flavour.

Floors: The soils vary greatly, ranging from slightly calcareous clay through alluvial soil to sandy gravel, providing ideal conditions for French grape varieties.

Key grape varieties & wine styles

In contrast to the traditional Chianti region, which is dominated by Sangiovese, Bolgheri focuses heavily on international grape varieties:

Cabernet Sauvignon (Structure and durability)

Merlot (Full-bodied with soft tannins)

Cabernet Franc (Flavour and aromatic depth)Vermentino (The estate’s most important white grape variety for fresh, mineral-driven white wines)

Guado al Tasso (Bolgheri DOC Superiore): The winery’s absolute flagship wine. A powerful, elegant cuvée made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, which regularly receives top marks from international critics. 

Il Bruciato: The flagship’s hugely popular, approachable „little brother“, which offers a wonderful introduction to the world of Bolgheri.

Cont’Ugo: A single-varietal Merlot that showcases the velvety and fruit-forward character of the terroir. 

Vermentino Bolgheri DOC: A fresh, straw-yellow white wine with intense notes of citrus fruits and elderflower.