This has a wild and perfumed nose of dried thyme, sage, blackberries, cocoa, graphite, and white and green peppercorns. Then dried flowers. Full-bodied with firm, tight, and precise tannins. Vibrant. There’s so much character and structure. A new benchmark for this winery. More Cabernet Franc than in the past. Best yet? 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc and 10% Merlot.

I've been tracking the increasing percentage of Cabernet Franc in the blend of this iconic Tuscan wine. 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. A fluttering of dried mint gives lift and power to the bouquet. This is a beautifully linear and powerful red blend.

This gorgeous, full-bodied red opens with layers of aromas including camphor, pipe tobacco, oak-driven spice, and ripe black-skinned fruit. Boasting structure and finesse, the intense palate delivers ripe black plum, juicy cherry, licorice, and menthol framed in ultrarefined tannins and fresh acidity.