Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso MARCHESI ANTINORI 2015

Tenuta Guado Al Tasso

The Guado al Tasso estate is located in the small but prestigious Bolgheri DOC, on the coast of upper Maremma, about one hundred kilometers southwest from Florence. This appellation has a relatively recent history, DOC Bolgheri was approved in 1995 and since then it has become an internationally recognized reference point for the Italian and international winemaking arena. The estate covers an area of 320 hectares (790 acres) planted with vines, set in a beautiful plain encircled by rolling hillsides known as the “Bolgheri Amphitheatre” due to its particular shape. The vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Vermentino. The nearby sea provides a mild climate with constant breezes that mitigate summer heat and alleviate harsh winter weather, maintaining a clear sky and a high level of sunlight exposure.

Climate

The 2015 vintage was characterized by a winter of average coldness and a spring whose weather was mild and dry. The bud break, along with the flowering, as a consequence, was earlier than the preceding vintage. The first part of summer saw a significant rise in temperatures, which then came back into balance from the second half of August on, allowing the grapes to achieve a perfect state of ripeness. The harvesting of the grapes began on September 12th with the Merlot and terminated on October 9th with the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vinification

The grapes were selected in two different moments: first immediately after picking and then after the destemming in order to insure that only fully ripe berries went into the fermentation tanks. As in every vintage, the individual vineyard plots were sub-divided into a series of smaller harvesting units on the basis of the weather of the growing season, distinguishing them according to the characteristics of the grapes and fermenting them separately. The fermentation itself took place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and lasted from fifteen to twenty days. After the wine was run off its skins, it went directly into small oak barrels, where it went through a complete malolactic fermentation. At the end of the first year of aging in the new oak barrels, the wine was blended and went back into oak for a further six months of aging before bottling.

Tasting Notes

The 2015 Guado al Tasso is characterized by a rich and complex bouquet with notes of tobacco, toasted coffee, and leather which fuse with the aromas of ripe berry fruit. The palate is a vibrant one, with both tannins and freshness well present to give savor and persistence. The finish and aftertaste are spicy and fruity, complete and fragrant. It is a vintage which a very important aging potential.

Awards

Wine Advocate          97/100        USA
James Suckling         97/100        USA
Antonio Galloni        96/100       USA

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