2022 Marchese Antinori Tenuta Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany

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. Production this vintage is 140,000 bottles.

96 points Monica Larner winecompanion.com.au

The Marchese Antinori Tenuta Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore is one of Tuscany’s great modern classics, a Super Tuscan that showcases the elegance and power of the Bolgheri coast. Tenuta Guado al Tasso sits in the Bolgheri amphitheatre, a natural bowl just a few kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea. The estate belongs to the Antinori family, whose winemaking heritage stretches back more than 600 years, and has become a benchmark for Bordeaux varieties in Italy thanks to meticulous viticulture and a pursuit of finesse.

The vineyards are planted on a patchwork of soils—sand, clay, silt and volcanic deposits—that give complexity and layering to the wine. The blend is typically Cabernet Sauvignon dominant, supported by Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with a touch of Petit Verdot in some vintages. The maritime climate, with its sunny days, cooling sea breezes and long growing season, provides ripe, concentrated fruit balanced by freshness. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, followed by extended ageing in new French oak barriques to build depth, polish and structure.

In the glass, Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore is deep garnet. The nose is intense and refined, showing cassis, blackberry and plum woven with violet, graphite, tobacco, mocha and sweet spice. The palate is full-bodied and powerful yet finely balanced, with layers of dark fruit framed by silky tannins and vibrant acidity. Notes of cedar, chocolate and savoury herbs emerge on the long, elegant finish, a hallmark of its Bolgheri origins.

Food pairings suit its richness and class: bistecca alla Fiorentina, braised beef short ribs, roast lamb with rosemary, or vegetarian options such as truffle risotto, porcini lasagne or slow-cooked eggplant parmigiana. With its concentration and structure, it is built for cellaring, capable of ageing gracefully for 15 to 20 years, developing tertiary notes of leather, cigar box and forest floor.