2010 Marchesi Antinori Tenuta Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore

Lustrous crimson. Extremely ripe nose – was the Cabernet just a tad overripe? It certainly has a rather dusty, charred finish. Seems to end a bit suddenly without the full-on opulence of its stablemates. Crushed mulberries is the informing flavour but it fizzles out a bit on the palate. (JR)

A star on the vast stage that is the Antinori wine empire, the 2010 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso is a seamless and stunning wine. It’s one of those rare wines that inspires praise and excited conversation from the very second you raise the glass to your nose. The blend is Cabernet Sauvignon (55%) with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Baritone aromas of black cherry, black currant, cured meat, sweet spice, Spanish cedar, mocha and wild Mediterranean herbs come together in graceful unity. In the mouth, the wine is exceedingly smooth and decadent with a long velvety trail that softly coats the palate. This is one for the cellar. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030.

The 2010 Guado al Tasso comes across as incredibly stern and tannic, with little of the aromatic expressiveness and sheer juiciness of the best years. The warm, resonant Cabernet Franc bouquet and dark fruit are less evident than they are normally. In 2010 the rains were particularly challenging, which means the percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc way down, while Merlot is up. It will be interesting to see where the 2010 goes over the coming years. Today, the firm sense of structure is much more typical of Antinori's wines from Chianti Classico. Still, there is plenty of intrigue in the 2010.