2019 | WA 97 The 2019 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso is made with 25% Cabernet Franc, with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot. That this heat-resistant grape now makes up a quarter of the blend speaks to how vintners are gearing up to counter climate change. These are intelligent choices, and you can count on this wine to maintain that level of extreme elegance and intensity that it is known for (even when Merlot was a bigger part of the blend). Indeed, this is a new and improved Guado al Tasso with focused aromas of pencil shaving, white pepper and crushed stone that frame a rich core of black fruit.  2020 | WA 96 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. Winery History While the Antinori family’s winemaking legacy spans 26 generations and over 600 years, the Tenuta Guado al Tasso estate entered their portfolio in 1932 as part of the dowry of Carlotta della Gherardesca upon her marriage to Niccolò Antinori. This noble property in Bolgheri, which had been in the della Gherardesca family since the 17th century, sits within a natural "amphitheater" between the hills and the sea, creating a unique microclimate that the family spent decades researching. It wasn't until 1990 that the flagship Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore was first produced, quickly becoming a cornerstone of the "Super Tuscan" movement by blending traditional Bordeaux varieties with a distinct coastal Mediterranean identity.

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2016 | WA 98 The 2016 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is a wine of extreme complexity and precision. It offers monumental depth with profound layers of black fruit, coffee, licorice and baking chocolate. I tasted this 2016 vintage beside the less-impactful 2015 vintage (which was reviewed last year). These two editions are very different when compared side to side, and this 2016 release is clearly superior in terms of the quality, clarity and intensity of its offerings. This Ornellaia delivers glossy shine and a polished texture that segues to important richness, concentration and textural fiber. It wraps thickly over the palate, imparting waves of sweet dark fruit and dark spice that linger for many long minutes.  2019 | JS 97 The aromas of blackcurrants, fresh basil and thyme, as well as cedar and sandalwood are so attractive. It’s full-bodied and very linear with tight tannins that draw you down the length of this young wine. Wet-earth and cool-stone undertones. It’s solid and so structured. A classic Ornellaia for the cellar.   About Winery In 1981, Marchese Lodovico Antinori breathed new life into Tenuta dell' Ornellaia, an estate whose potential had been ignored for decades. With the help of Andre Tchelistcheff, the famous agronomist, Antinori planted the first French vines in Bolgheri, which lies in the heart of Tuscany's coastal region, Maremma. The estate yields some of the finest Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc in Tuscany. In 2002, Marchesi de' Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi became owners of Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, which is now owned exclusively by Marchesi de' Frescobaldi. Ornellaia has established itself among the iconic wine estates in Italy (and beyond). The estate is dedicated to producing charming and opulent wines, full of Mediterranean character and finesse, reflecting the estate’s unique terroir in Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast. The combination of Bolgheri’s unique soils and growing conditions, and what can only be characterized as a total obsession with excellence, result in the world-class wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc that so many wine lovers across the world have come to cherish. Ornellaia employs a full time team of 80 people whose passion and motivation make Ornellaia what it is today. No shortcuts in the part of the production are allowed and the details literally come down to a grape by grape basis. Wines are intently crafted to capture the character of each vintage, in all its complexity and facets. In fact, the character and intricacies of each individual vintage are so important to the estate that since vintage 2006, Winemaker and Estate Director Axel Heinz has identified a single word that captures the character of each vintage, and that word is interpreted by a contemporary artist who produces special labels and a site-specific work of art that remains part of the estate’s permanent collection. In addition to its place among Italy’s iconic wines, Ornellaia is also an ambassador for the Bolgheri region, leading it to be recognized as one of Italy’s greatest winegrowing regions. It is their belief, and it is hard to argue, that Bogheri’s mild maritime climate and diversity of soils create wines as distinct, complex and pleasurable as any in the world.  

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2015 | JS 98 Elegant, structured, with cassis, cedar, and bay leaf notes. 2019 | D 100 Praised for purity, balance, and resemblance to legendary vintages of the 1980s.   About Winery The Tenuta San Guido is a 7,500-acre estate located in the province of Livorno on the western coastal outskirts of Tuscany near the village of Bolgheri. Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta acquired it through his marriage to Clarice della Gherardesca in 1940. The legacy of Sassicaia began in 1944, when Mario Incisa acquired a number of Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc vine cuttings and planted them on a sloping hillside of the San Guido estate, called Castiglioncello after the 11th-century castle at the vineyard's upper edge. This tiny, 3.75-acre vineyard stood alone until 1965, when a second Cabernet vineyard was planted with cuttings from the Castiglioncello parcel; the gravelly, 30-acre plot would give the wine its name: Sassicaia, "the place of many stones". With the radical changes in the D.O.C. system of regulations as of the 1994 vintage, Sassicaia's extraordinary reputation was acknowledged through the Italian government's granting the wine its own appellation. Sassicaia is today considered to be the new plus ultra of Italy's great red wines for its consistent excellence and its intuitive spirit. Acclaimed by the wine world's most respected voices, Sassicaia remains the legacy of its creator, Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, and his son, Marchese Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta.  

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2023 | D 96 The 2023 Guidalberto showcases a deep purple-red hue with an intricate aroma of lavender, blackcurrant, thyme, and citrus hints. Its fresh palate balances acidity and salinity, with well-integrated tannins leading to a clean, refined finish. While enjoyable now, its density and subtle sweetness ensure excellent ageing potential.   About Winery Guidalberto was created by Tenuta San Guido in Bolgheri, Tuscany, as a tribute to Guidalberto della Gherardesca, an ancestor known for his agricultural vision. Launched in 2000, it was conceived to broaden the estate’s range beyond Sassicaia, offering a wine that could be enjoyed earlier while still expressing the gravelly soils and coastal breezes of Bolgheri. Crafted mainly from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Guidalberto quickly gained recognition as a refined yet approachable “Super Tuscan,” embodying the estate’s philosophy of innovation rooted in tradition.

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2012 | Vivino 4.5 An intensely complex profile displaying layers of dark cherry, ripe plum, dried rose, sweet tobacco, and earthy or iron-rich nuances.   About Winery Valdicava is one of the most prestigious and highly acclaimed estates in Montalcino, Tuscany. Founded in 1953, the family-run winery is celebrated for producing powerful, deeply structured, and expressive Brunello di Montalcino from the highly coveted Montosoli subzone.  

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