The nose shows excellent aromatic finesse and freshness with notes which recall rosemary, mint, red fruit and, lightly, liquorice. Very balanced on the palate, savoury and long, the wine is potent and subtle at the same time, elegant and of great drinking pleasure.
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and occasionally a small amount of Petit Verdot to best represent the complex and elegant terroir found in Bolgheri. This wine has been produced since 1990 from vineyards on alluvial soils whose composition ranges from clay-sand to clay-loam with rocky deposits known as “scheletro”.
The 2016 vintage was characterized by a mild winter with sporadic but abundant rainfall which assisted in creating important reserves of ground water in the sub-soil. The vines began their cycle of growth and development a bit earlier than in a normal season and then proceeded in a regular fashion, accompanied by a sunny spring with temperatures and rainfall which respected normal seasonal averages. The summer was, on the whole, a warm one but without significant temperature peaks. The ripening of the grapes proceeded with sunny days, low rainfall, and cool evenings and nights which favored the development of aromatic components in the crop, maintaining an excellent freshness as well, an indispensable factor for elegant and long-lived grapes. The harvest began with the Merlot on September 5th, continued with the Cabernet Franc towards the middle of the month, and concluded with the Cabernet Sauvignon on October 5th.
Awards
James Suckling 98/100
Wine Advocate 98/100 USA
The Guado al Tasso estate’s most characteristic geographic feature is the Bolgheri Amphitheater, a beautiful plain encircled by rolling hillsides that faces the Tyrrhenian Sea. The shape of the territory creates a unique microclimate with beneficial temperature fluctuations.
The estate’s vineyards are located at the foot of the amphitheater, an optimal position as cold nocturnal breezes cool down the vines. These particular climatic conditions give the grapes pronounced aromas and guarantee a perfect ripening of the berries.
Guado al Tasso added the Antinori family’s historic family crest on the capsules. Guado al Tasso designed a label with the Della Gherardesca family crest and the initials DG as a tribute to the former estate owners.
Maturation: All the wines went immediately into new French oak barrels where they went through a complete malolactic fermentation by the end of the year. After a year of aging, the finest lots were selected and blended and then went back into barrel for an additional six months of aging. A year in bottle preceded the release.
