"Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate 96 Points
The Marchesi Antinori 2020 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso sees Cabernet Franc at over 30% of the blend in this vintage, with the rest going to Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% to 20% to Merlot. Matarocchio was not produced this year, and this wine benefits from the extra Cabernet Franc as a result. The 2019 and 2021 vintages of Guado al Tasso are quite concentrated and rich, whereas 2020 is leaner in texture, along the lines of the edition we saw made in 2010. There was rain in September. Managing Director Renzo Cotarella says he would not describe 2020 as a hot vintage because the rain did pose challenges at the end of the growing season. In Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast, budbreak is earlier than in other appellations, and the growing season is longer as a result. This is a benefit to the international varieties used here. The wine shows nice richness and intensity. The Cabernet Franc definitely comes through and adds the characteristic vertical lift and linearity that the grape is known for. You get black fruit, spice, white pepper and no signs of bitter stems or bramble. Sweet, almost milky tannins are interlocked with fresh acidity to give this wine good cellaring potential. The new oak was dialed back a bit in this vintage. Drink 2025 to 2045, Reviewed May 2023"
In the 1930s the Tenuta Belvedere estate (later renamed Guado al Tasso) was inherited by Carlotta della Gherardesca Antinori, the mother of Piero Antinori. It is located in the world-famous Bolgheri area (home of many Supertuscans) where 300 hectares of vineyards are cultivated, mainly with French red varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, and Petit Verdot).
After the collaboration with Sassicaia ended in 1989, Piero Antinori released the first vintage of Guado al Tasso in 1990: it is now the flagship wine of the estate and one of the most sought after in the area.
