Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore 2021

The 2021 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso is a very beautiful wine, but also quite a departure from the style that made it famous years ago. Readers will find an especially polished Guado al Tasso, a wine that emphasizes finesse more than power. Silky tannins wrap around a core of black cherry fruit, licorice, spice, mocha and new leather. Bright, saline undertones extend the exquisite finish. There's more Cabernet Franc in the blend these days, and that very much comes through in the wine's crazy aromatic presence and feel. The 2021 spent 16 months in wood, three months in used French oak barrels during the malolactic fermentation and then 14 months in barrel (80% new) for the rest of its aging. Gorgeous. Antinori turned out a superb Guado al Tasso in 2021. Like all the Antinori wines these days, Guado al Tasso benefits from a more finessed approach than in the past. Franc features significantly in the 2021, and that comes through in the wine’s aromatic profile and overall feel.

This is really well crafted, with ultra-fine tannins that spread across the palate. It’s medium-bodied with a balance of currant, dark chocolate and hazelnut character. It’s so long and persistent, with gorgeous sophistication and unctuousness at the finish. Extremely well done. Drinkable now, but event better in two or three years.

The Marchesi Antinori 2021 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc from a hot year that also benefited from better underground water reserves because 2020 actually saw quite a bit of rain in Bolgheri and that moisture carried over. This wine is all forward thrust as a result, with a determined mouthfeel pushed over the palate thanks to plummy fruit, baked blackberry and sweet spice. The wine gracefully adds a spot of much-needed minerality that adds to the sensations of freshness. There is even some mint that livens up the mouthfeel.