2008 Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore

2008 Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore

Bolgheri Superiore DOC, Tuscany, Italy

Wine Tasting Note:

Deep, dense purple color with brownish hue around the rim. Would have guessed older than 8 years in the bottle. Closed and limited nose on open. Not much coming through yet except alcohol, bitter chocolate and watery texture. Sampling until ready… about 45 mins. hitting its stride. Still ample freshness and has become fruit forward as opening. Plum, boysenberry, blackberry in front. Minimum mid-palate, with a medium length finish of subtle dark chocolate. Tannins are grippy and high, with high acidity. The texture has improved, adding a bit of mouth-feel and volume. Great structure, but the fruit has become subtler than an earlier bottle. Fruity enough to be drunk on its own still, but perfect for a pairing with red sauce and meat dishes. Antinori has delivered another quality Tuscan blend with versatility and some aging potential. I enjoyed a few glasses prior to dinner, but this would be even better with food. If you enjoy aged wine flavor profiles, this should be best drunk 2017-2018. If you aren’t concerned whether your wine is fruit-forward, the tannins should resolve somewhat in another 3-4 yrs. If you’re like me and you prefer some noticeable drying tannins, this wine is perfect now. A nice middle-ground between old and new world flavor profiles.