2015 Guado Al Tasso Super Tuscan/IGT

2015 Guado Al Tasso

97 JS

Featured Review

So much blue fruit such as blueberries and blackberries; the purity of the fruit is incredible. Essence of cabernet sauvignon. Full-bodied yet with focused and fine tannins. Forceful but focused and polished. Needs two or three years to come around. And then enjoy for years afterwards. James Suckling

James Suckling | 97 JS

The 2015 Bolgheri Superiore Guado Al Tasso is another star performer from a vintage that was tailor-made by some higher being specifically for the blended red wines of Tuscany. This mix of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot slides seamlessly right in there with our highest expectations of the iconic vintage. The wine offers beautiful intensity and purity, yet it also delivers balanced power and lasting persistence. This is a baritone expression from Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast with impenetrable black fruit, chocolate and tobacco followed by rich concentration and tightly knit texture. I tasted this wine next to a barrel sample of the unfinished 2016 vintage. This vintage appears more exuberant and opulent at this early stage. Some 120,000 bottles were made.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RP

The 2015 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso is just as impressive as it was last year. Dark, sumptuous and beautifully layered in the glass, the 2015 possesses stunning textural richness and yet maintains striking freshness. In 2015, Guado al Tasso is powerful and explosive, with tremendous energy in all of its dimensions. The slightly higher Cabernet Franc (18%) comes through in expansive, penetrating aromatics that add brightness to a core of dark fruit, mocha, espresso, spice and grilled herbs. Quite simply, the 2015 is a fabulous Guado al Tasso.

Vinous Media | 96 VM

Guado al Tasso sits in the Bolgheri amphitheatre that provides a unique microclimate with significant temperature variations, these were crucial in the warm 2015 vintage. Due to a mild winter and a dry spring the bud break, along with the flowering, and the harvest were earlier than the preceding vintages. The picking began on September 12th with the Merlot. Crimson, dominated by a salted chocolate aroma and flavour with restrained cassis, a touch of mint and coffee beans to finish; this vintage shows firm yet ripe tannins, not without suppleness despite the powerful structure. It will age easily for decades. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.

Decanter | 95 DEC

A thick, muscular red, featuring black currant, blackberry, licorice, mint, earth and leather aromas and flavors. Dense and builds to a lingering aftertaste, yet needs time to unpack all its facets. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2022 through 2035. 500 cases imported.

Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The components for this wine (cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and a touch of petit verdot) aged for one year in new French oak barriques, developing polished tannins and notes of sweet spice that heighten the primary flavors of plum, blackberry and cassis. The wine takes on layers of tobacco and graphite as it sits in the glass, maintaining freshness and precision.

Wine & Spirits | 94 W&S

A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, this fragrant red opens with enticing scents of black-skinned berry, bell pepper, graphite and pipe tobacco. The concentrated but elegantly structured palate delivers layers of black currant jam, ripe plum, star anise and a touch of mocha alongside firm, fine-grained tannins. Drink 2020–2030.

Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

Type of Wine	Super Tuscan/IGT : Many grape varietals are planted all over the world so they're not typical for one single country anymore. For instance, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc form part of many blends coming from different countries. Super Tuscan wines are produced in this Italian region, but grape varietals used in the making are not indigenous - those are mostly Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Varietal	Proprietary Blend : Proprietary Blend is a general term used to indicate that a wine is comprised of multiple grape varietals which are either “proprietary” to the winery or is blended and does not meet the required maximum or minimum percentage of a particular varietal. This also is the case for the grape’s place of origin, especially for region, appellation or vineyard designated wines. There are endless examples of blended wines which are labeled as “Proprietary Blend” and in conjunction with each region’s stipulated wine laws and regulations makes for a vast blanket for wines to fall into. Perhaps the simplest example is California; if a wine is to be labeled as Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is required to have at least 75% of the varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon) and 85% of the fruit must be cultivated from the Napa Valley wine district. If the wine does not meet the requirements, it is then labeled as Proprietary Blend.
Country	Italy : Italy is renowned as one of the world’s greatest gastronomic havens; from certified Prosciutto di Parma to the sea-side seafood eateries on the island of Sicily. However, this epicurean experience could not possibly be as hedonistic without the ethereal combination of the country’s plethora of fine wines. It seems unfair that a nation should be able to boast, both, some of the world’s greatest cuisine as well as its greatest wines. Italian wine is one of the most sought after in the world, and has become the second most produced in the world, behind only France. Stretching an impressive 736 miles from northern Italy to the peninsula’s southern tip, the country’s geography generates an enormous array of topography, climate and soil structure. This is an extremely important quality of its winegrowing and making industry which lays claim to nearly 550 different grape varietals, which all desire their own necessities, in terms of terroir and climate. The still red wines of Italy truly characterize the nation’s vast and expansive terroir; Nebbiolo dominates Piedmont, where Barolo and Barbaresco reign king and queen of the region’s production. Hailing from Brunello di Montalcino in Tuscany, the rockstar Sangiovese grape has become synonymous with greatness. Vin Santo sweet wines have taken on a mighty feat of competing with the glorious wines of Sauternes, and of course, Prosecco. Prosecco, located in Trieste (northeast Italy) and its creation of luxuriously effervescent styles of wine has become Italy’s answer to Champagne. The Glera grape variety, which has become synonymous with the name Prosecco, is the main ingredient and is beloved in the appellation where the village of Prosecco’s name has become world renowned. The blurred boundary between Italy and the countries of Slovenia and Austria, where German influence still resonates through Friuli wines. The prevalence of Riesling and other such grape varietals is high in this region and have become extremely popular on today’s market. With nearly 702,000 hectares of grapevines covering the massive and diverse landscape, Italy’s annual average of 48.3 million hectoliters of wine production is second only to France in terms of volume and Spain in terms of hectares of vines. The country is vast and overwhelming when it comes to the culinary arts, but perhaps even this is overshadowed by its production of some of the world’s most sought after wines, whether the omnipresent Chianti to the highly collectible and sought after Amarone della Valpolicalla.
Region	Tuscany : Italian culture worships the concept of a shared meal, and their wines scream for a chance to be uncorked with your friends and family. The region's Mediterranean climate and hilly landscape combine to create a beautiful viticultural environment, where every chosen grape is brought to its full potential and transmuted into drinks worthy of gods. The vineyards are planted along the higher reaches of the hill slopes, creating a gorgeous view of the Italian landscape. Once your lips kiss the wine, you're sent spiraling down a veritable whirlpool of pure flavor, touching upon notes of sensuous cherry, nuts, floral hints and undertones of honey and minerals. The wines can be as sweet as a fresh summer romance, and carry an air of dignity and elegance about them that can stimulate your intellect for months as you contemplate the seemingly infinite intricacies and details in the texture. Tuscany is an important part of Italian viticulture, and sampling their wines is the closest you can get to visiting this heavenly region and experiencing the culture.