"Antinori Tenuta Guado Al Tasso Il Bruciato is a bright red wine with a complex bouquet of berries, spices, wood, and vanilla. It is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and syrah grapes grown in the Guado al Tasso estate's vineyards in Bolgheri, Tuscany. Il Bruciato shows an intense ruby red color. The nose presents the notes of red and black berry fruit which are characteristic of this vintage and capable of giving the wine an excellent concentration. Sweet spices and a hint of liquorice complete the bouquet. The palate is well structured, persistent, and highly pleasurable in its fruity finish and aftertaste."
The Guado al Tasso estate is located in the small but prestigious Bolgheri DOC, on the coast of upper Maremma, about one hundred kilometers southwest from Florence. This appellation has a relatively recent history, DOC Bolgheri was approved in 1995 and since then it has become an internationally recognized reference point. The vineyards cover an area of 320 hectares, set in a beautiful plain encircled by rolling hillsides known as the 'Bolgheri Amphitheatre' due to its particular shape.
The soils are alluvial in origin, and vary from sandy-clay to silty-clay and in some areas good presence of very fine gravel called scheletro. These lend themseleves to the 'international' varieties for which the region is so famous - namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Vermentino. The proximity of the sea provides a mild climate with constant breezes that mitigate summer heat and alleviate harsh winter weather.
Il Bruciato was first produced in 2002 from carefully selected Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah grapes from Guado al Tasso’s vineyards.
The 2021 growing season in Bolgheri was impacted by a long period of drought that lasted from June throughout September. However, unlike the 2017 vintage, winter was particularly rainy which contributed to replenishing groundwater reserves in the deep soils that characterize this territory. The vines had the necessary soil moisture for the entire growth cycle. Spring was cool resulting in a slight delay in bud break and flowering. Temperatures during the summer months were never excessive and ensured a normal, gradual ripening phase of the fruit in each vineyard and produced berries that were whole and in perfect health. The grape harvest began with Merlot at the beginning of September, continued with Cabernet Franc and Syrah mid-September and was completed with Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot at the end of September.
