Antinori’s Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore is a Super Tuscan masterpiece. A soulful portrait of this great red, its origin and the people behind the label. Including tasting notes of the 2015 vintage
“This wine alone is worth the entire tasting”. That’s what I thought when I sipped Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore – a Super Tuscan by Antinori. The occasion was the Grandi Marchi wine tasting organised by Decanter. The event was intended to showcase the excellence of Italian winemaking. Therefore it was no coincidence that I found Guado al Tasso in the lineup.
To truly appreciate why Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore by Antinori is so great, one has to know where it comes from and who its winemakers are to the Tuscan wine scene. I will answer both questions, before ending the article with my tasting notes.
The wine’s origin: Bolgheri
Bolgheri is a young and prestigious appellation located in the Maremma district of Tuscany. Maremma is a coastal area stretching from Livorno in the north to Argentario Peninsula in the south. Bolgheri sits just below the centre of this Golden Coast.
As a town, Bolgheri is a tiny charming hamlet with a population of 131 according to the 2011 census. Bolgheri is famous for its eponymous red-bricked Castle, owned by the Gherardesca noble family. This medieval town is a worthy addition to any Tuscan itinerary. It’s easy to find too. The dramatic Viale dei Cipressi (Cypress Avenue), a 5 kilometre road bordered by majestic ancient cypresses, ends in front of Castello Bolgheri.
Geography, climate and grapes
From a geographical and climatic standpoint, Bolgheri is different from traditional Tuscan landscapes such as Chianti. Instead of hills and forests, you find vast plains, marshes and low dunes next to the sea. Giant pines and thick macchia shrubs dot the open spaces. Temperatures are higher than elsewhere in Tuscany. The proximity to the sea imparts a maritime influence. Salty sea breezes mitigate the heat and decrease the diurnal excursion.
In addition, the grapes don’t scream traditional Tuscany. Apart from a few exceptional sites, Bolgheri’s warm conditions are unfit for sangiovese. In this climate, the grape loses its charm and signature flavours. As a result, Bolgheri’s winemakers favour international varieties. In particular, the late-ripening cabernet sauvignon copes well with the Maremma heat. Other preferred grape varieties include cabernet franc, merlot, syrah and petit verdot. Guado al Tasso, my wine of the month, is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot. In some years, the red also includes a tiny proportion of petit verdot.
Super Tuscan: innovation over tradition
Guado al Tasso is one of the most famous Super Tuscan wines. The expression Super Tuscan traces back to the 1960s. It describes the pioneering soul of a small number of winemakers that rebelled against the restrictive wine regulations of that time.
The 1960s Tuscan wine scene was very protective of its traditions. Chianti was produced with a formula established centuries before and it banned non-native grape varieties from the blends. The lack of flexibility frustrated a number of ambitious winemakers who were eager to experiment. As a result, they decided to opt out of the appellation laws and released wines simply labelled as Vino da Tavola – table wine. Although these wines were labelled the same as everyday quaffle, they were of premium quality and priced to match. The Super Tuscans were born.
The very first Super Tuscan was called Sassicaia and was commercially released by the Incisa della Rocchetta family in 1968. This was followed by Tignanello by Piero Antinori in 1974 (with the 1971 vintage). In 1985, Piero’s brother Lodovico Antinori started Ornellaia. In 1990, Piero created Guado al Tasso.
After almost two decades of Super Tuscan glory, the Italian government realised it was time to bring these wines under the umbrella of the appellation system. In 1994, the Bolgheri DOC (created 11 years earlier) was amended to include red wines.
The Super Tuscan movement developed in Bolgheri for two reasons. Firstly, the area didn’t have a long wine history (unlike Chianti), therefore it was more open to experimentation and innovation. Secondly, the terroir in that area is similar to Bordeaux, the model for most Super Tuscan winemakers. In particular, its warm climate, gravelly soil and large plains are more similar to Bordeaux’s Left Bank than to the rest of Tuscany.
The winemaker: the Antinori Family
Since the birth of the Super Tuscan movement, the Bolgheri area has attracted Italian (and foreign) producers. Most notably, Frescobaldi, Ruffino, Bolla, Gaja, Zonin and Antinori.
Marchesi Antinori is one of the bastions of Italian winemaking. Through the centuries, the Antinori family has embraced tradition and innovation while maintaining its trademark excellence. For 26 generations the Antinori family has been in the wine business. I would go as far as to say that the Antinori name is so intertwined with wine that it is virtually impossible to separate the two.
The family’s history began in 1385, when Giovanni di Piero Antinori became a member of the Florentine Winemakers’ Guild. In 1900, Piero Antinori (grandfather and namesake of Tignanello and Guado al Tasso’s creator) purchased a vast acreage of vineyards in the Chianti Classico region. His son Niccolo scandalized his contemporaries by making Chianti wines using prohibited grapes such as cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.
Nicolo’s nonconformist attitude was inherited by his son Piero, who released Tignanello in 1974. Even though Tignanello was not the first Super Tuscan, it was the one that shocked the Italian wine scene. It paved the way for many other experiments in the Maremma area.
Tenuta Guado al Tasso
One of the biggest estates owned by Marchesi Antinori is Tenuta Guado al Tasso (formerly known as Tenuta Belvedere). Spanning around 320 hectares, the estate is set in a beautiful plain encircled by rolling hillsides known as the Bolgheri Amphitheatre. Guado al Tasso is sourced from vines found at the foot of the amphitheatre. It’s a blessed position: the vineyards face the Tyrrhenian Sea, in a microclimate that cools the vines at night and allows the development of perfect ripeness and complex aromas.
What I love about Guado al Tasso is its immense approachability. I tasted the 2015 vintage, the vinous equivalent of a child. Even at that young age, the wine was perfectly drinkable. The tannins, far from being harsh, were powerful yet supple and smooth as velvet.
Beyond Antinori’s masterful winemaking expertise, the geology of Tenuta Guado al Tasso accounts for wine’s approachability. The soil is richer in sand than elsewhere in Bolgheri, resulting in a wine characterised by a sinewy structure and lighter body than other examples of the same appellation. One can liken this wine’s structure to a 100 metre sprinter as opposed to a bodybuilder.
A Super Tuscan between Bordeaux and Tuscany
Tenuta Guado al Tasso’s gravelly and sandy soil reminds me of Pessac-Léognan in Bordeaux, so does Guado al Tasso. Its fine-grained and mellow tannins echo the best cabernet sauvignon dominated blends of that Bordeaux district.
The Super Tuscan model is clearly influenced by Bordeaux, both in terms of vinification techniques and grape varieties adopted. However, the character, aromas, and soul of these great wines remain unmistakably Tuscan. As such, there is still something inherently Tuscan about Guado al Tasso. A trait shared by the best Super Tuscans that I have tried so far. This ineffable feeling makes you want to visit Tuscany and eat a large place of local delicacies. Washed down by a great red wine. In my fantasy right now, that wine is Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore by Antinori…
Marchesi Antinori - Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore, 2015
Country: Italy
Region/appellation: Tuscany - Bolgheri Superiore DOC
Wine style: Dry red - Bold and Structured
Grape(s): 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Average price: £75
Marchesi Antinori is among the 10 oldest family-run businesses in the world. Giovanni di Piero Antinori joined the Guild of Winemakers in 1385, and this year is hailed as the start of their wine venture.
In the following centuries, the Antinori family became one of the richest families in Tuscany, entertaining the highest echelons of society. Their influence on the political and viticultural scene was indisputable. In the 1970s, Piero Antinori released wine gems such as Tignanello and Solaia which revolutionised the Tuscan wine scene.
Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore is a Super Tuscan that was first released in 1990. Its grapes are sourced from Tenuta Guado al Tasso, a 320 hectares estate in Bolgheri close to the Tyrrhenian Sea. The wine is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and (in some vintages) petit verdot. Antinori’s red winemaking process shows their expertise and attention to detail. Each grape variety (and vineyard plot) is vinified separately and macerated in stainless steel tanks for 12 to 14 days. The wine is then aged in new French oak barriques for 14 months.
Tasting notes
(tasted on: 09-Oct-2019)
In the glass, the wine has a ruby colour of medium intensity. On the nose, the aromas immediately open up with a pronounced concentration. From the first whiff, it’s deep, focused and exhibiting huge class. Notes of perfectly ripe blackberry and black plums pervade the attack, along with hints of prunes, bitter cocoa, toast, black espresso coffee. A nuanced stalky note intercedes, revealing traces of mint, blackcurrant leaves, tobacco and earth. Intensely complex and refined, the wine’s components are seamlessly integrated.
On the palate, Guado al Tasso is full, rich in body, yet somehow slender and dynamic. A confident power intertwined with an unmatched finesse. The high and precise acidity chisels the rich and complex aromatic profile. In the attack, crunchy and ripe black fruit notes dance with bitter notes of cocoa powder, mocha and tobacco. A lovely mixture of earth, green pepper, tobacco and red brick minerality sits in the background. The tannins are high in level, fine-grained, dry but elegant, with a class that seems to last forever on your tastebuds. Suave and smoky with a long toasty finish.
Guado al Tasso is a Bordeaux-blend that doesn’t forget its Tuscan soul. Its exhilarating sense of harmony, class and magnificence will haunt you for days after your first encounter. Very approachable at this young age, this wine will turn into a true masterpiece after a few years of ageing. Unmissable!
Wine and other Stories rating: 9.6/10
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