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Antinori Guado al Tasso Cont'Ugo Bolgheri Rosso 2023 750ml
🇮🇹 Lavender, plum & blackberry with velvety tannins.
Tenuta Guado al Tasso is one of the crown jewels of the Antinori portfolio — a 320-hectare estate in the prestigious Bolgheri DOC on the Tuscan coast, set within the distinctive "Bolgheri Amphitheater" of rolling hills and cooled by constant sea breezes from the Tyrrhenian coast. Cont'Ugo is the estate's singular statement on Merlot: a wine produced entirely from this variety as a new interp...Show More >
Tenuta Guado al Tasso is one of the crown jewels of the Antinori portfolio — a 320-hectare estate in the prestigious Bolgheri DOC on the Tuscan coast, set within the distinctive "Bolgheri Amphitheater" of rolling hills and cooled by constant sea breezes from the Tyrrhenian coast. Cont'Ugo is the estate's singular statement on Merlot: a wine produced entirely from this variety as a new interpretation of the Bolgheri territory, sourced from vineyards at 45–60 meters elevation on clay-loam alluvial soils that deliver deep, complex notes while preserving the fragrance and freshness that Merlot does best.
The Antinori Guado al Tasso Cont'Ugo Bolgheri Rosso 2023 750ml is 100% Merlot, sourced from vineyards across the northern, central, and southern zones of the Bolgheri appellation. Deep, inky red in the glass, it opens with an aromatic and inviting bouquet of crushed lavender, plum compote, blackberry, sweet earth, mint, and fresh herbs. On the palate it is full-bodied, supple, and rounded, with velvety tannins, a balanced core of acidity, and pristine, clean fruit that carries seamlessly from entry through the finish. Polished, expressive, and built to drink beautifully from 2026 through 2035.
Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023
- Wine Enthusiast — 94 Points: "Peppery and earthy with tart blackberries over damp soil and graphite. Layers of sweet dark berries and dark chocolate create a sleek, acrobatic wine."
- Jeb Dunnuck — 93 Points: "Aromatic and inviting with crushed lavender, plum compote, blackberry, sweet earth, mint, and fresh herbs. Full-bodied, supple, and rounded with velvety tannins. Polished and expressive with good depth and length."
- Wine Spectator — 93 Points: "Rich, inviting and harmonious with black cherry, blackberry, plum, vanilla, toast and earth. Vibrant with dense tannins and an expansive finish. Best from 2026 through 2035."
- Wine Advocate — 92 Points: "Soft, fleshy texture with black cherry and blackberry. Pristine and clean fruit sustaining the wine seamlessly from entry through the finish."
Wine Details
- 100% Merlot — Cont'Ugo single-variety expression
- Bolgheri DOC, Tuscany, Italy — clay-loam alluvial soils, 45–60m elevation
- Tenuta Guado al Tasso, Marchesi Antinori
- Vintage: 2023 | Drink 2026–2035 | 750ml
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Wine Information:
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Sub-Region:
Appellation: Bolgheri Rosso
Variety: Merlot
Type: Reds
Size: 750ml
Choose when time is of the essence
Expert Reviews - Vintages 2022, 2020
Wine Spectator 94 Points | Distinctly fruity, this red features black cherry, blackberry, plum, licorice, cedar and oak spice aromas and flavors. A supple version, with terrific balance and a long aftertaste. Shows just enough grip to lend serious weight. Merlot. (Vintage 2022).
Vinous 91 Points | The 2022 Cont'Ugo, 100% Merlot, offers terrific freshness, especially for the year. There's a bit of edginess in the tannin from the challenges of the growing season. Even so, what comes through most is the move toward greater vibrancy in the wines. (Vintage 2022).
Wine Advocate 90 Points | The Guado al Tasso 2020 Bolgheri Rosso Cont'Ugo is a pure expression of Merlot that has absorbed the ripeness and softness of this hot vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc have a proven track record in these ever-more frequent warm vintages along the Tuscan coast, but early-ripening Merlot can sometimes come off as too ripe and jammy. This wine walks a fine line, and although it never shows excessive softness, you have to wonder how much further it can be pushed in light of climate change. Dark cherry and blackberry preserves cede to cedar and baking spice. The mouthfeel is round, soft and creamy. (Vintage 2020).
James Suckling 94 Points |A fresh, tight and structured merlot with vibrant notes of olives, red plums, cherries, tobacco, orange zest and stones. Medium-bodied with chewy tannins. Lots of energy. 100% merlot. Drink after 2023. (Vintage 2020).
