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96 Robert Parker
Renzo Cotarella, managing director of Marchesi Antinori tells me that the 2018 vintage showed very different results in the inland and hilly Chianti Classico appellation compared to the flat, sea-facing Bolgheri appellation. This season saw some rain right before harvest. That extra humidity rolled right off the Chianti Classico hills and disappeared without effect, but it stuck around longer in the thicker, flatter soils of Guado al Tasso. For this reason, one of the estate's top wines, the Cabernet Franc-based Matarocchio, was not produced in 2018 for fear that the fruit would not offer the concentration required of a wine of that important stature. The best of that fruit was used in this wine instead. For that reason, the 2018 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso sees a little more Cabernet Franc (clocking in at about 22% of the blend) and less Merlot, with the rest being Cabernet Sauvignon, of course, (at about 60%). To be honest, the percentage of Cabernet Franc has been deliberately creeping up over the years to render a more focused and sharper bouquet. Aromas of dark fruit and freshly milled white pepper replace the more banal cherry-based flavors delivered by the Merlot, and the wine appears more lifted and precise as a result. The Cabernet Sauvignon delivers spice and licorice, and these pretty aromas are likewise given more breathing room, thanks to the counterparts found in the Cabernet Franc. Linearity, sharpness, pencil shavings and dark currant or blackberry—this is the direction Guado al Tasso is taking, and this 2018 vintage opens the door to a new chapter for the wine. Some 115,000 bottles were made.
93 Wine Spectator
Rich, intense fruit flavors of black currant and black cherry are shaded by vanilla, toasty oak, iron, black olive and tobacco accents in this complex, harmonious red. Fine balance and a lingering finish cap it off. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2035. 2,000 cases imported. — BS
Producer
Antinori - Tenuta Guado al Tasso
Situated on the biodiverse, untouched coast of Tuscany, Guado al Tasso is one of the stars of the Bolgheri DOC. Stretching over four kilometers along the Tyrrhenian Sea, the cantina lies in Maremma just one-hour south of the famed village of Pisa. This estate is just one of the many top-producing Tuscan estates owned by the illustrious Antinori family, however this beautiful property is also their private summer retreat. Encompassing over 600 hectares of land, the property is split between vineyards and the unique contrast between beaches and wooded areas – which shows off their native fauna and flora. The tenuta crafts a couple wonderful whites, a rosé, and several five-star reds. Guado al Tasso is leaning toward a much more Bordeaux-like style regarding their reds, using slightly larger barriques and less new-oak. The flagship of this estate, Guado al Tasso expresses powerful characteristics of the upper Maremma balanced by overall elegance and finesse. The second wine, Il Bruciato shares the same philosophy of excellence, preforming as an approachable, slightly spicy wine with a long pleasurable fruit finish.