Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A star on the vast stage that is the Antinori wine empire, the 2010 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso is a seamless and stunning wine. It’s one of those rare wines that inspires praise and excited conversation from the very second you raise the glass to your nose. The blend is Cabernet Sauvignon (55%) with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Baritone aromas of black cherry, black currant, cured meat, sweet spice, Spanish cedar, mocha and wild Mediterranean herbs come together in graceful unity. In the mouth, the wine is exceedingly smooth and decadent with a long velvety trail that softly coats the palate.
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James Suckling
A rich, beautiful wine with a dark-chocolate, currant and raspberry character. Full body with velvety tannins and a clean finish. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc.
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Wine Enthusiast
Antinori's blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc creates a vibrant, structured wine that shows tension and energy. It opens with aromas of black cherry, black currant, dark spices and leather that carry through to the palate alongside firm but refined tannins and vibrant freshness. It already has nice depth but give it time to develop complexity.
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Wine Spectator
Rich yet tightly wound, delivering cherry, black currant, floral, spice and mineral flavors. The structure keeps this compact and monolithic for now, with a resonant finish that should develop beautifully over the next decade or so. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc
The Guado al Tasso Estate is located in the prestigious Bolgheri DOC, part of the Tuscan coastal area of Maremma, known for its untamed landscape and unspoiled beauty. Just 60 miles southwest of Florence, it sits on a magnificent plain in the heart of the Bolgheri amphitheater, a natural phenomenon created by hills that embrace the sea and produce a mild and temperate microclimate. Blessed with ample sunshine and constant breezes that take the edge off the summer heat and winter cold, Guado al Tasso is the ideal environment for cultivating healthy vine growth and proper ripening of the estate’s grapes. Inherited from Carlotta della Gherardesca, and revolutionized by Niccoló Antinori, the mother and father of Piero Antinori, Guado al Tasso is a reference point property in the life and history of the family. Here the challenge is to create wines of absolute excellence, always representative of the Bolgheri history, culture, and winemaking traditions.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
An outstanding wine region made famous by Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who planted Cabernet Sauvignon vines for his own consumption in 1940s on his San Guido estate, and called the resulting wine, Sassicaia. Today the region’s Tuscan reds are based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which can be made as single varietal wines or blends. The local Sangiovese can make up no more than 50% of the blends. Today Sassicaia has its own DOC designation within the Bogheri DOC appellation.