Bolgheri, near the Tuscan Coast, is the source of some of Italy’s most compelling wines. It is also a unique area in which Bordeaux varietals thrive and create polished, stylish reds that are a category unto themselves. Solaia, Orenallaia, and Sassicaia are some often first names that come to mind. Later to the game was Antinori’s Guado Al Tasso. While we are as much of a fan of the ‘big dogs’ as anyone, they don’t come cheap. That’s why when they rolled out the Antinori Il Brucato, good Bolgheri on a budget, we were excited.
It gets the royal treatment. Upon arrival in the cellar, the selected clusters for Il Bruciato were destemmed and gently crushed. Fermentation and maceration on the skins took place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. A portion of the Merlot and Syrah musts were kept at lower temperatures during fermentation to better preserve each grape variety’s distinctive aromas. Part of malolactic fermentation took place in barriques and part in stainless steel tanks and was completed by the end of the year for all grape varieties. Subsequently, Cabernet Sauvignon was blended with Merlot, Syrah, and a small percentage of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot then put back into barriques where it was left to age before bottling.
Curiously, the first vintage of this ‘junior Guado’ was made in 2002, one of the worst vintages in Tuscany in the last few decades. We’ve sold it since its initial release here and have carried most vintages since. Always a solid performer, we must admit we haven’t been as thrilled with the wine as we were in the early days relative to other choices, probably in part because we see much more really cutting edge Italian wine on the market now. The press seems to indicate that the recent versions were definitely on an upward trend from the early offering. That said, the 2020 Antinori Guado Al Tasso Il Bruciato is the most interesting version we have tasted in a long time.
The description from Advocate’s Monica Larner make the point, “I tasted the Guado al Tasso 2020 Bolgheri Rosso Il Bruciato from barrel, but the wine will hit the market in September of this year. Compared to the previous vintage, this edition is richer and slightly denser with nicely concentrated fruit. That extra textural support is a characteristic of this fortunate vintage. This accessible blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah offers tight mineral notes, toasted spice, almond and lots of dark, luscious fruit. To the palate, the wine exhibits softly caressing tannins…93 points.”
Also from James Suckling, ” Aromas of sage and currants with blackberries follow through to a full body with intense, round tannins that are nicely crafted. Fresh, flavorful finish. Some dried herbs at the end with a slightly grilled-meat undertone. Drinkable now, but better in two or three years…93 points.”
The $26.98 fare is certainly quite reasonable for something from this prized terroir.