2022 Marchesi Antinori Tenuta Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany, Italy (750ml)

WINEMAKER'S NOTES:

Guado al Tasso 2022 is an intense ruby red color. The nose opens with floral notes and aromas of red fruit that lead over to hints of sweet spices especially tobacco and licorice root. The palate is silky and savory with outstanding balance and dimension that balance perfectly with the elegant tannic structure. This wine can be enjoyed immediately but has excellent aging potential for the years to come.

Blend: 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot

TASTING NOTES:

The Marchesi Antinori 2022 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso (a blend of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc and 25% Merlot) is an unexpected wine. I was prepared for more overt ripeness but instead was greeted by a delightful mineral note of graphite or lead pencil that gives much needed contouring to this full-bodied Tuscan red. The wine is velvety and richly textured at its core, but it is also seamless with very pleasurable sweetness. All new oak adds hints of vanilla and spice. If you follow this wine, you'll notice that the percentage of Cabernet Franc has been increasing in tiny notches over the years. "Blending is key to achieving balance in a vintage like this," says Marchesi Antinori Managing Director Renzo Cotarella.

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96 pts. 

A complex and restrained wine with classic aromas of straw, cassis and carob and a touch of leaves. The palate is polished and full-bodied with smooth, refined tannins. Chewy in the finish, with refreshing acidity and a toasty Mediterranean aftertaste.

- James Suckling, 96 pts. 

The 2022 Guado Al Tasso has a saturated purple/magenta color and is 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot. The nose shows off ripe primary fruit of fresh blueberries, blackberries, leather, violets, wet stone, and Mediterranean herbs. Full-bodied, it fills the palate but remains fresh and even, with plush, ripe tannins, delicate warming spice, and a long finish. While it has the richness and ripe fruit one comes to expect from this estate, it offers exceptional refinement as well. Drink 2027-2050.

- Jeb Dunnuck, 96 pts. 

Offering a gorgeous aromatic profile of thyme, mint, sage and menthol with ripe dark berries, this is a superb Guado al Tasso. A fresh mouthful of cool and juicy black and blue fruits is emphasised by a streak of salinity before a return of those wonderful Mediterranean herbs. ‘I think 2022 in this moment is more ready than 2021,’ says Marco Ferrarese, winemaker and estate director.

- Decanter, 94 pts.

An expressive, polished red, featuring black cherry, blackberry, floral, iron and oak spice aromas and flavors. Fluid and juicy, with refined tannins for support and echoes of fruit and spices on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Best from 2028 through 2042.

- Wine Specatator, 93 pts.