| Classification | I.G.T. |
| Type | Red |
| Producer | Tenuta San Guido |
| Wine | Guidalberto |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Appellation | Bolgheri |
| Grape | Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot |
| Alcohol % | 13.5% |
| Volume | 0,75 |
| Condition | Perfect |
| Label | Perfect |
| Drinkable | -2032 |
| Stock | 59 |
The 2022 growing season in Bolgheri was hot and dry. Due to the drought, the harvest was earlier than usual, resulting in wines from this coastline that were concentrated, darkly fruity and ripe. For Guidalberto of Tenuta San Guido, this meant a generous expression of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend. Expect a denser, warmer wine than in a cooler year like 2021, but the estate's house style, approachable, refined fruitiness, was very much intact.
Made with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the Tenuta San Guido 2022 Guidalberto gives you a good taste of the same DNA that brings us one of Italy's greatest wines, Sassicaia, but it's offered in a more immediate style here (thanks to the addition of the Merlot). This warm vintage opens to medium-dark concentration and very plump aromas that take you immediately to blackberry and blackcurrant sitting out in the sun at your local farmers market. The wine shows a soft and gentle side with a pretty level of elegance transmitted through the fruit freshness and the light oak spice that is discernible here but delivered with grace.
This red is elegant, despite its firm structure and dense tannins. Black cherry, black currant, plum, tobacco, iron and rosemary flavors hold court, while all the components show balance. The finish is long, with a salty taste. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Lots of mint with sage and fresh rosemary to the currant and orange character on the nose, as well as some ripe raspberries. The palate is very refined with creamy and crunchy tannins that run the length of the wine. It shows a crunchy and energetic personality. Give it a year or two to come together, but it’s showing brightness for the vintage.
Interesting nose that manages to be both rich and savoury. Heady top notes and balsam flavours on a palate that is so much more Tuscan than bordelais! If someone told me this had some Sangiovese in it, I would not be surprised. Appetising luncheon wine. Quite long and well balanced but at the moment needs aeration. Still quite tight.
Gently bright ruby red in colour. On the nose, a complex bouquet, opening with ripe wild berries, ribes, notes of juniper, cedar wood and black pepper, and a touch of lilac. The palate is silky with precise fruit on very well-integrated, fine tannins, an elegant wine, gently powerful, with a long finish.
The first sensations are fruity. Ripe black cherry, black currant, Mediterranean herbs and sweet vanilla notes from the American oak. The 2022 was hot and dry on the Bolgheri coast and you can feel its warmth in the glass. The Cabernet Sauvignon provides plenty of structure and backbone, and the wine can be drunk until about 2035. Decant one hour before serving.
Guidalberto 2022 is made from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. Why this particular blend? The Cabernet brings cassis, graphite and firm tannins. Merlot sits in the middle, while plums and black cherries soften the edges. In Bolgheri's warm coastal climate, both varieties ripen fully, so Guidalberto can be enjoyed young, while the neighboring Sassicaia (a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated flagship wine) requires patience.
Drink between 2025 and 2035. Guidalberto is made to be enjoyed young, and the 2022 is no exception. American oak softens the edges, the tannins are already approachable and the fruit is forward. However, with 3-5 years of aging, it will show a more savory, tobacco complexity.
Tenuta San Guido is the estate that created the Super Tuscan category with Sassicaia in 1968. The estate, owned by the Incisa della Rocchetta family, is located in Maremma on the Tuscan coast near Livorno. So why is its history so important? Because when a category is already established, there is no need to follow trends. Carlo Paoli is in charge of the technical side and Graziana Grassini is the consultant. We have all three wines represented - Sassicaia, Guidalberto and Le Difese.
Bolgheri is located on the Tuscan coast between Livorno and Grosseto, which on paper is not at all suitable for Bordeaux varieties. But in Bolgheri it is. The Tyrrhenian Sea mitigates the heat, the sea breeze dries the grape canopy and keeps disease at bay. The soil is a mixture of alluvial gravel, clay, sand and limestone, sometimes with marine fossils. The gravel drains well and the clay retains moisture. Cabernet Sauvignon needs warmth and Merlot needs moisture. This balance is very important.
The decisive choice here is oak. About 15 months in barriques (small 225-liter barrels) and, importantly, a blend of French and American oak. The American element here is intentional. It brings sweeter spices, vanilla, notes of coconut and a softer flavor sensation. Sassicaia uses French oak exclusively. Guidalberto should be drunk young, not left in the cellar for 15 years. The balance between new and used oak allows the oak to support the fruit rather than being on top of it.
Black fruit and supple tannins want red meat, but not heavy. Some ideas:
The fat of the meat softens the tannins of the Cabernet, while the herbal notes of the wine complement the rosemary. Serve at 16-18°C.
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