Four decades of Guado al Tasso: A Decanter Fine Wine Encounter masterclass
Guests at Guado al Tasso's recent masterclass tasted eight wines from the Bolgheri estate; the classic Bordeaux blend and a rare 100% Cabernet Franc.
Guado al Tasso is owned by the Antinori family, who have been making wine in Tuscany for several centuries – hosting the masterclass was 26th-generation Alessia Antinori, daughter of Piero, and the company’s head oenologist and CEO, Renzo Cotarella.
The estate is framed by the three key roads of Bolgheri: the ancient Via Aurelia which runs parallel with the coast, running north/south; the iconic cypress-lined Viale dei Cipressi, which runs eastwards from the Via Aurelia; and the Via Bolgherese, which runs north/south from the Viale dei Cipressi and parallel with Via Aurelia, and leads to the village of Bolgheri itself.
It’s along the latter that many of the area’s wineries can be accessed, including Guado al Tasso.
The lineup
Guado al Tasso, Bolgheri Superiore 1998 (magnum)
Guado al Tasso, Bolgheri Superiore 2007
Guado al Tasso, Bolgheri Superiore 2013
Guado al Tasso, Bolgheri Superiore 2022
Guado al Tasso, Matarocchio, Toscana 2007 (magnum)
Guado al Tasso, Matarocchio, Bolgheri Superiore 2013
Guado al Tasso, Matarocchio, Bolgheri Superiore 2016
Guado al Tasso, Matarocchio, Bolgheri Superiore 2021
Tasting notes below
A new home for Cabernet Franc
‘Bolgheri is a wonderful area for international varieties…for Cabernet Franc it’s one of the best places in the world,’ exclaimed Antinori’s head oenologist of over 40 years.
And this masterclass turned out to be a celebration of Bolgheri’s zeitgeist variety, appearing in Guado al Tasso’s Bolgheri Superiore from 2007 and taking the stage solo in the super-premium Matarocchio.
The first release of Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore was the 1990 vintage, but there was no initial follow-up in 1991 due to unfavourable conditions.
In its original guise it was a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% other grapes, including Syrah and Petit Verdot.
Cotarella calls 1998 the wine’s first great vintage, noting that it was the warmest summer until 2022. However, it was the 2007 vintage that proved to be a turning point for the estate.
2007 yielded some seriously good Cabernet Franc, and so the decision was made to to incorporate some into Guado al Tasso’s Bolgheri Superiore, Cotarella explaining that the idea was to replace the Syrah in order to produce a more refine, vibrant and ‘more authentic’ wine.
Since then, the blend has slowly shifted towards a larger portion of Cabernet Franc, arriving at 31% in the 2022 vintage. Cotarella explains that he aims to make Guado al Tasso a ‘drinkable but not simple’ wine, and favours what he describes at the softer entrance but also more backbone that the variety brings to a blend.
The birth of Matarocchio
‘When we bottled 2007 Guado al Tasso we didn’t use all the Cabernet Franc because we didn’t want to change the character too much.’
Left with such high quality fruit, the team decided to bottle a single-variety wine, but were hesitant to release it commercially until they were sure they could replicate the success.
Cotarella compares this process of patience to the cautious release of Solaia in the 1970s.
The wines
The masterclass was divided into two flights: Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore, followed by Matarocchio.
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Guado al Tasso, Bolgheri, Superiore, Tuscany, Italy, 1998
Head oenologist Renzo Cotarella calls 1998 the ‘first great vintage’ of Guado al Tasso, thanks to the warmest summer temperatures until 2022. Evolved fragrances of black tea and macerated dark berries with some damp earth introduce a fleshy mouthful of dark cherry, herbs and spice, with some menthol and sottobosco. Fine, grippy tannins and good balance complete the picture. Drinking beautifully now. Poured from magnum (the best way to enjoy older vintages!).
1998
Guado al TassoBolgheri
Guado al Tasso, Bolgheri, Superiore, Tuscany, Italy, 2007
This year saw Cabernet Franc used in the blend for the first time. Compared to 1998 tasted before, the 2007 is much more balsamic and leafy in character, with intensity and energy. Spicy in the mouth, it's a refined sip with super-fine, sandy tannins and vertical shape.
2007
Guado al TassoBolgheri
Guado al Tasso, Bolgheri, Superiore, Tuscany, Italy, 2013
I'm a huge fan of Tuscany's 2013s at the moment, and Guado al Tasso doesn't disappoint. It's an inviting glass full of spicy and leafy Cabernet Franc aromatics (now up to 18% of the blend), while the sip is fleshy, supple and silky, more red-fruited than in the past and with plenty of vibrancy and tension. Superb.
2013
Guado al TassoBolgheri
Guado al Tasso, Bolgheri, Superiore, Tuscany, Italy, 2022
The latest vintage of Guado al Tasso has seen the Cabernet Sauvignon reduced to make way for more Cabernet Franc in the blend, at almost one-third. Renzo Cotarella explains that this was due to late-September rains threatening the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon. Still youthful, the oak – only selected once the character of the wine is known – shows in its chocolatey richness, accompanied by leafy dark berries and some balsamic herbs. It has a lightness to it, allied to good structure which demands time.
2022
Guado al TassoBolgheri
Guado al Tasso, Matarocchio, Toscana, Tuscany, Italy, 2007
‘Cabernet Franc is a variety which is difficult to be complete,’ says Renzo Cotarella. ‘The pH tends to be higher – a softer entrance but also with backbone.’ Matarocchio is only made in vintages where the variety excels, and 2007 was the start of the project. Deep and slightly smoky, it combines dark berry and balsamic herb fragrance with a touch of black tea. In the mouth it offers glossy black fruits with flecks of chocolate, black tea, sottobosco and plenty of spice. The finish is long and fresh. Poured from magnum.
2007
Guado al TassoToscana
Guado al Tasso, Matarocchio, Toscana, Tuscany, Italy, 2013
Encapsulating the character of the cooler 2013 vintage, this is more about red than black berries. Intense and perfumed, it has excellent intensity and concentration, with generous, glossy fruits, spice and a creamy touch. Ripe but without evident sweetness to the fruit, there's a bitter herb character which emerges, along with a gentle vein of acidity and some still-sturdy tannins. Needs more time.
2013
Guado al TassoToscana
Guado al Tasso, Matarocchio, Toscana, Tuscany, Italy, 2016
2016 is a superstar vintage in many parts of Italy, the result of a balanced growing season. Here in Bolgheri, Matarocchio 2016 shows at its best; finessed, bright, crunchy and vibrant. Lifted floral-edged black and blue berries, spice, menthol and chocolate mingle in the mouth, supported by powdery tannins and a long, fresh and spicy finish. Very good now but could be great in time.
2016
Guado al TassoToscana
Guado al Tasso, Matarocchio, Bolgheri, Superiore, Tuscany, Italy, 2021
Youthful, concentrated and tannic, 2021 Matarocchio shows lots of promise for the future but is too young to fully enjoy now. It's a very balsamic wine, full of menthol and herb aromas alongside precise red and black berries and chocolate from the oak. In the mouth it's super-bright and energetic, with succulent acidity and all that oak showing as a distinct woodiness that will settle down with time. Long and powerful, with vertical shape and lots of structure.
2021
Guado al TassoBolgheri
