2018 | Antinori | Guado Al Tasso

This 2018 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. As in every vintage, the individual vineyard plots were sub-divided into a series of single parcels to be picked on the basis of the climate of the vintage. Each parcel was fermented separately for a period of 15-20 days in stainless steel tanks. After being run off its skins, the wine went directly into small oak barrels where, by the end of the year, the malolactic fermentation was completed. In the month of February the wine of the finest parcels was selected and blended together. The wine aged in new French oak barrels for 14 months.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: 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%).

• Vinous: The 2018 Guado al Tasso is silky, delicate and exceptionally polished. I can’t remember tasting another Guado like it. Medium in body and gracious, the 2018 offers up a compelling mélange of dark fruit, chocolate, cedar, licorice and dried herbs, all in a mid-weight style that is incredibly appealing. The 2018 has just been bottled, so it needs time to bounce back. I can’t wait to taste it with a bit more time in bottle.

Producer Information

The Antinori family is one of the most authentic and historical names of the Italian wine industry. This family has been making elegant and heritage-rich wines for over six centuries now. Giovanni di Piero Antinori became a member of the Florentine Winemakers’ Guild in 1385, and his family has been making beautiful wines, since then. Today, though the estate is managed by the 26th generation Antinori family member, you will be thrilled to notice that the historic winemaking practices are carried on with full respect and passion here.

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