Antinori Guado Al Tasso

The Guado al Tasso estate is located near Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast, 96 kilometers (60 miles) to the southwest of Florence. The 300 hectares (750 acres) planted to vineyards on the property are in the center of the so-called” Bolgheri amphitheater”: rolling hillsides which surround a splendid plain which slopes gently towards the sea and create a micro-climate with unique characteristics. Guado al Tasso, the flagship wine of the estate, expresses all of the force and suppleness of this corner of the upper Maremma. It has contributed to raise Bolgheri to the level of the most important areas of Europe’s viticulture, expressing a decisively Mediterranean character of power, elegance, and balance.

Introducing Antinori Guado Al Tasso 2013

The 2013 vintage was, on the whole, a cool one, above all during the spring in September. The summer months, warm and sunny, but without excessively high peak temperatures, assisted in a proper, unstressed growth both of the grapes and of vine vegetation.. At the end of August, it was necessary to proceed with manual leaf removal to achieve the extract and complexity which characterize Guado al Tasso. September gave us lovely sunny days and cooler than usual nights, ideal conditions for balance between sugar accumulation and aromatic ripeness. In conclusion, a cool vintage which gave excellent fruits.

Harvest, Fermentation & Aging

The harvest began with the Merlot on September 4th and concluded with the Cabernet Sauvignon in early October. The grapes were sorted and selected twice, first immediately after picking and then after destemming, and only perfectly ripe berries went into the fermenting tanks. As in every vintage, the single vineyard parcels, subdivided into a series of small plots, were harvested and fermented separately to preserve their specific character and personality. The fermentation and skin contact took place in temperature-controlled stainless steel fermenting tanks and lasted 15-20 days. After fermentation, only superior lots went directly into new small oak barrels, where they went through their malolactic fermentation. The finest selections for Guado al Tasso were assembled and blended together after a year of aging and remained in barrel for a further six month period before bottling.

Tasting Notes

The 2013 Guado al Tasso is a wine of great elegance and finesse, silkier and more vibrant than ever. In a cool vintage, one with a very long growing season,  the Cabernet Sauvignon (50%) brought notes of aromatic herbs and mint along with crisp tannins which added length. The Merlot (27%) gave concentration and texture and ample sensations of plums and blackberries. The characterful Cabernet Franc (20%) contributed aromatic and  flavor elegance, intensifying the finish and aftertaste with notes of liquorice and cassis. And, finally, the Petit Verdot (3%) combined very well with other varieties, underlining the wine’s spiciness.

Antinori Guado Al Tasso 2013 available at The Oaks Cellars now!