Guidalberto (2nd Vin) 2011 75cl

The 2011 Guidalberto reveals a plump, opulent and irresistible style. The 2011 vintage was a scorcher in much of Italy, but Bolgheri performed very nicely thanks to the soft sea breezes that kept the summer heat in check. There is beautiful fruit ripeness here, but the wine never feels overdone or overblown. Expert winemaking is clearly at hand. You can almost feel the crunch of the berries in your mouth and the soft tannins have been expertly managed. Dark cherry, blackberry preserves, spice, candied almond and tarry licorice rise from the glass. The wine is still youthful with a darkly extracted personality that will flesh out further in time.  When Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi made a state visit to Washington, D.C. this past April, he packed a few bottles for the trip. He selected four wines to share with President Barack Obama. According to media reports they were Sassicaia (the 2011 vintage), Ornellaia, Tignanello and a Brunello di Montalcino by Mastrojanni. The statesmen sampled the wines together and President Obama joked that it would be “insulting” not to taste them. During a press conference, he turned to Renzi and smiled: “I will give you, Matteo, a report on whether it is up to the quality we expect.”  Born in Florence, Prime Minister Renzi made a sound selection of wines from his native Tuscany to share with the American president. Of these wines, none is more iconic than Sassicaia. Roughly one month prior to the White House wine summit, I was in Bolgheri at Tenuta San Guido to taste a few older vintages of Sassicaia including the 1982 and 1998. I was also able to taste preview samples of the excellent 2013 vintage and the challenging 2014 vintage. June 2015

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot. Aufhellendes Granat, relativ grosser Rand aussen. Blumiges Bouquet, nasser Baumstamm, die Frucht hat eine knappe Reife, was aber dann – in ein paar Jahren – in Würze umschlagen wird. Im zweiten Ansatz eine rotpflaumige Süsse zeigend, dann auch etwas Zedernholz, Tabak und helles Caramel. Im Gaumen gut ausgelegt, harmonisch und mit einer klassischen, ja vielleicht sogar artisanalen Aromatik. Obwohl dies ein Zweitwein ist, braucht er ein paar Jahre und das Grünliche abzulegen. Wird in der Jugend wohl unterschätzt. Ich mag ihn. 17/20 2017 – 2025

A lean, taut red, firmly grounded by dense, fine-grained tannins, with cherry, berry, spice and black pepper aromas and flavors. The finish echoes with fruit and spice. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese. Best from 2016 through 2027. 30,000 cases made. –BS