The 2022 Guado Al Tasso has a saturated purple/magenta color and is 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot. The nose shows off ripe primary fruit of fresh blueberries, blackberries, leather, violets, wet stone, and Mediterranean herbs. Full-bodied, it fills the palate but remains fresh and even, with plush, ripe tannins, delicate warming spice, and a long finish. While it has the richness and ripe fruit one comes to expect from this estate, it offers exceptional refinement as well. Drink 2027-2050. 138,480 bottles produced. The wines for this report were tasted both at the winery with winemaker, Marco Ferrarese, as well as in repeat tastings with the Consorzio.

The Marchesi Antinori 2022 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso (a blend of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc and 25% Merlot) is an unexpected wine. I was prepared for more overt ripeness but instead was greeted by a delightful mineral note of graphite or lead pencil that gives much needed contouring to this full-bodied Tuscan red. The wine is velvety and richly textured at its core, but it is also seamless with very pleasurable sweetness. All new oak adds hints of vanilla and spice. If you follow this wine, you'll notice that the percentage of Cabernet Franc has been increasing in tiny notches over the years. "Blending is key to achieving balance in a vintage like this," says Marchesi Antinori Managing Director Renzo Cotarella. Production this vintage is 140,000 bottles.

Offering a gorgeous aromatic profile of thyme, mint, sage and menthol with ripe dark berries, this is a superb Guado al Tasso. A fresh mouthful of cool and juicy black and blue fruits is emphasised by a streak of salinity before a return of those wonderful Mediterranean herbs. ‘I think 2022 in this moment is more ready than 2021,’ says Marco Ferrarese, winemaker and estate director.

44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot. Harvest: 1–23 September. 15–20 days’ maceration. Aged for 18 months in new French oak barriques. TA 4.8 g/l, pH 3.62, RS 0.4 g/l. Bright mid crimson. Ripe, sweet, quite ‘international’ nose. This would hit the spot for anyone even if far from the most distinctive for a wine geek. Still a little astringent and inky on the end but that’s fine for a wine designed to age. (JR)