2022 Guidalberto, Tenuta San Guido, Tuscany, Italy

Full bottle 1,265 g. Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot on limestone rich in alberese and gabbro as well as stones and pebbles, with some clay, at 100 to 300 m above the nearby sea. Facing west and south-west. Warm year and a harvest that began as early as 23 August for the Merlot. Dry ice needed in the winery. 40% new barriques, 40% second use and 20% third and fourth passage in equal proportion presumably previously used for stablemate Sassicaia). 95% French oak, 5% American.

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! I would not be surprised if someone told me this had some Sangiovese in it. Appetising luncheon wine. It is quite long and well-balanced but, at the moment, needs aeration. It’s still quite tight.

Drink 2025 - 2029

Guidalberto used to be great value for money, and even though it’s a bit pricier these days, the quality has also improved dramatically in recent vintages as Tenuta San Guido seeks to remove the idea of Guidalberto as a ‘second wine’ by building a dedicated winemaking facility and adjusting the blend. The 2022 is loaded with herbal and sea breeze scents among bright, tangy berries. In the mouth, it is saline and precise, with a succulence to the concentrated plum and blackberry core and a gracefulness to the tannic and acid structures which weave through it. Sapid and incredibly moreish, with a beautifully ripe red berry finish, this really does stand up on its own two feet.

Drink 2024 - 2030

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.

Drink after 2027

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 plump aromas that immediately take you 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.

Drink 2024 - 2030