Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri

Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri

Antinori's Guado al Tasso Bolgheri is the last Super Tuscan to get the Wine90 treatment this month. Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri is a blended Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot wine in almost equal amounts with just a splash of Syrah (usually 5%). These Super Tuscans are ITG wines which means they don't have to follow any particular ratio of grapes or have a certain alcohol limit. So in different vintages, depending on the success of the harvest the ratios can alter. However, most producers try to stick closely to previous vintages to keep some continuity in the brand. Blind tastings would be even more fun if they did not!

We are focusing on Guado al Tasso today because we sold out. Plain sold out. One customer came along and just gobbled up our entire inventory last week so I had to see what the fuss was about and if the 2005 vintage has been slightly disappointing like the Tignanello and Ornellaia.

Before we get into this you may have noticed there have been no tweets from me and very few blog posts. Twitter went nuts last week. Deleting all my followers and those I follow in a botched update so go kick their butt! As for not posting... last week I spent some time in Paris and it gave me the chance to try some interesting French wines so I've been busy drinking instead of writing which is slightly more fun!

As this is the "Italian wine blog" I would like to be able to bash the French vin but actually they were all rather excellent. Reviewed for your pleasure is the Perrin & Fils Chateauneuf du Pape 2005 and the Chateau Leoville Poyferre 2004 .

I'm not actually pledging any kind of allegiance to France in that photo I'm not sure why I have posed so bizarrely! I'd also like to apologise for my hair which took a "tour bus bashing" with not only the wind messing me up but also assorted twigs and leaves smacking me about the bonce as the bus hurtled far too quickly through the streets of Paris.

Back to the Guado al Tasso. It's one of Italy's most requested, famous, respected wines but still only the third most well known of the Antinori stable, following Solaia and Tignanello. Meaning "Badgers Ford" in English, Guado al Tasso's vineyards are in Bolgheri and the 2005 vintage is made up of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Syrah. As with much of Tuscany, 2005 was a difficult vintage with a wide variance of successes and failures due partly to localised weather patterns, and as always the particular skills of the wine makers themselves. Antinori have some of the best wine makers in the world so any disappointment should really be weather related.

2005 was a better year for Merlot, always forgiving, so the 2005 is heavier on Merlot than some past vintages. And? And? Well, it's as good as last years. Of course it is a different wine experience but taking everything into account, 2005 and 2004, no real quality difference. In fact, I slightly prefer this vintage on taste and as much as I love sticking my nose into wines and am all about the nose, taste does matter somewhat! So they tell me.

Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri 2005 - BUY - €55

Very dark, deep ruby red. Needs decanting and produces an explosive nose after a few hours. Brings around aromas of plums, blackberries and that familiar chocolate note as well as noticeable but non-offensive oak. Full bodied and well balanced, the 2005 is a fruity wine with the dark bitter chocolate notes continuing in the mid palate. A generous finish, the most striking point is the overall balance of the wine, well tuned and elegant. 93 Points

Perrin & Fils Chateauneuf du Pape 2005 - BUY - €40

Great deep purple colour with pink hues. The nose was kirsch like, lots of raspberries, very sweet but not sugary, noticeable cherry notes too. Mid bodied and rich on the palate but so smooth, one of the easiest drinking wines I've tasted this year. Really simple, very fruity, looks like a wine to drink young, fun and easygoing with a great nose and lovely flavour. Like wine flavoured juice! 90 Points

Leoville-Poyferre 2004 - BUY - €40
Lovely deep red in the glass. My bottle came out of the fridge in a tiny restaurant in the Marias so the nose was almost impossible to decipher. Some definite vanilla, cherry and a hint of smoke on the nose. Super mouth feel, really firm and fruity, great tannins, rounded and opulent I can't believe the price on this 2004 Bordeaux and can't stress how much you should be buying this wine esp considering the 2005 prices. 92 Points

"You are not passing many wines these days". Yes I know, I know, but I don't go out looking for horrible wines and this is my own money here folks. Sometimes I do find a stinker and it will get soundly trashed. If anyone would like to send me a horrendous wine I am open to your samples (of wine!).

Lastly, you may notice I've snuck in the occasional vini stranieri lately. Yours truly will be leaving Venice in the next few months for another European city, likely London, possibly Paris where the amount of choice of international wines is luxurious. Although I will always try to keep the blog focused on Italian wines, you may know that I am on the WSET wine course and as such can not limit myself entirely to experiencing only Italian wines, I preach trying different wines so I should practise this myself. Also, I'd just plain fail if I don't try other wines and as much as I love you all, I'd like to pass my exams!

I knew you'd understand! Lastly, I've added "Australians" to the last section of the blog as I've noticed a great increase in hits from down under. *waves* G'day!

Where can I buy this wine? (Guado al Tasso)

Europeans - Enoteca Grandi Vini - €54

Americans - NapaCabs! - $89.95

Brits - The Cellar Door - £52

Australians - Discount Wine - AU$105

Leave a comment!

Tried any of these wines? Are you one of the Aussie readers? Would you move to London or Paris? Are you going to send me revolting wine? Or anything else that tickles your fancy, except comments about my hair, which are forbidden.