Falstaff - West Coast Tuscany

Guidalberto bears the name of a man who shaped the Bolgheri landscape forever in the early 19th century: Guidalberto della Gherardesca, the visionary agricultural pioneer who created the famous cypress avenue – the Viale dei Cipressi – was created. What was initially intended as a practical demarcation between different areas of cultivation became the iconic silhouette of an entire region. 2023 marks a turning point for this exceptional wine. For the first time, Tenuta San Guido is positioning its Guidalberto separately from the legendary Sassicaia – a deliberate move to demonstrate that this is not a "second wine", but an independent interpretation of the Bolgheri terroir. As Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta puts it: "You can't compare them. They are completely different worlds." The 2023 vintage is a synthesis of 55 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 45 per cent Merlot. While the Cabernet Sauvignon provides structure and depth, the Merlot brings the silky texture and accessible sweetness that makes Guidalberto so distinctive. Fifteen months in French and American barriques give the wine its characteristic balance between strength and elegance.

Guado al Tasso is not only the name of the winery, but also the historical term for a ford in the torrent on the Marchesi Antinori estate. In the Middle Ages, this was the name given to the place where one encountered the "tasso" (badger) while travelling through the water on horse and cart. This poetic place name came to symbolise a wine that combines depth and movement: A Bolgheri Superiore with provenance, history and attitude. Despite the summer heat, the 2022 vintage produced an astonishingly balanced structure. Selective harvest in the best parcels between the hills and the Tyrrhenian Sea, fermentation in stainless steel, followed by 18 months of ageing in new French barriques, followed by at least 6 months of bottle ageing.

In 2001, the brothers Piero and Lodovico Antinori, together with their nephew Niccolò Marzichi Lenzi, recognised the extraordinary potential of the hills of Bibbona in the upper Maremma. Instinct, passion and centuries of family experience led to a parcel-by-parcel study that would eventually become the birth of Tenuta di Biserno. The terroir of these 40 hectares at an altitude of 90 metres is of extraordinary complexity: mainly alluvial and clay-limestone soils that create the ideal environment for Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The different exposures and the distance from the sea characterise the varietal expression so strongly that the decision in favour of two production lines was obvious: Biserno – the most prestigious and representative wine of the estate – and Il Pino di Biserno.

Guidalberto bears the name of a man who shaped the Bolgheri landscape forever in the early 19th century: Guidalberto della Gherardesca, the visionary agricultural pioneer who created the famous cypress avenue – the Viale dei Cipressi – was created. What was initially intended as a practical demarcation between different areas of cultivation became the iconic silhouette of an entire region. 2023 marks a turning point for this exceptional wine. For the first time, Tenuta San Guido is positioning its Guidalberto separately from the legendary Sassicaia – a deliberate move to demonstrate that this is not a "second wine", but an independent interpretation of the Bolgheri terroir. As Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta puts it: "You can't compare them. They are completely different worlds." The 2023 vintage is a synthesis of 55 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 45 per cent Merlot. While the Cabernet Sauvignon provides structure and depth, the Merlot brings the silky texture and accessible sweetness that makes Guidalberto so distinctive. Fifteen months in French and American barriques give the wine its characteristic balance between strength and elegance.

Sometimes a vineyard reveals secrets that have been hidden beneath the surface for millions of years. When Antonio Moretti Cuseri acquired the plot north of Via Bolgherese, he had no idea that his vines would drive their roots through an extraordinary layer of clay – a fossilised seabed from prehistoric times that gives the Cabernet Franc a mineral depth that can only be found in a few places in the world. With the first vintage of 2020, the third generation of the Moretti Cuseri family created their Bolgheri Superiore – aola di Orma, a tribute to the unique terroir expression that has made the estate an icon among Tuscany's coastal wines. On a south-west-facing single vineyard of just a few hectares, 15 to 20-year-old vines are cultivated organically. The speciality: 85 percent Cabernet Franc forms the backbone of this cuvée, supplemented by just 15 percent Cabernet Sauvignon – a bold departure from the Merlot-dominated classics of Bolgheri. The constant sea breeze ensures ideal ripening conditions and prevents the herbaceous notes that Cabernet Franc can often develop in cooler climates.

The name Il Bruciato, literally "the fire", commemorates a historic forest fire disaster on the Guado al Tasso estate: At the beginning of the 20th century, an extensive area of woodland on the estate was completely destroyed by fire. Since then, the wine has poetically recounted this event – and the reconstruction, which also symbolises perseverance, identity and the connection between landscape and wine. Since its debut vintage in 2002, Guado al Tasso has been pursuing the idea of an accessible red Bolgheri wine that is nevertheless true to its origins and terroir. The vines grow in the immediate neighbourhood of the Bolgheri Superiore, and the wine is vinified with precision and an eye for balance.

Between Sassicaia on the left and Ornellaia on the right, on the Strada del Vino of Bolgheri, lies a vineyard that has rewritten the definition of "perfect location". When Antonio Moretti Cuseri drove through the thick Maremma fog in October 2004 and suddenly emerged into the glistening sunlight of this coastal landscape, he knew: this is where he would make the Orma – his footprint. The third generation of the Moretti Cuseri family had already proven with Oreno at Tenuta Sette Ponti that their passion for Bordeaux cuvées can become an obsession. In Bolgheri, this love of Merlot and Cabernet was to find a new interpretation. On just 5.5 hectares of vines rooted deep in gravel and clay, organically farmed grapes are used to produce the wine that has been delighting international wine critics since its debut in 2005. The 2023 vintage combines half Merlot with 30 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 20 per cent Cabernet Franc – an assemblage that combines the Mediterranean climate of the Tuscan coast with the finesse of great Bordeaux growths.

From the vineyards near the historic villa, where the woods reach the sea, comes a visionary interpretation of Vermentino – a wine that allows the inexhaustible possibilities of this ancient grape variety to shine in a completely new light. Scenario embodies five years of research at Tenuta Argentiera, a meticulous study of the evolutionary potential of Vermentino that culminated in various vinification and ageing experiments between 2020 and 2022. The grapes for this exceptional Bolgheri Bianco ripen high up at 260 metres above sea level, in small plots close to the protective forests where maritime breezes meet centuries-old pine trees. Only 8,000 bottles are produced annually from this carefully curated Vermentino in its purest form – a precious witness to that unique microclimate between the sea and the Mediterranean scrub.

The name is history. Sapaio – an old Tuscan grape variety, long forgotten, but not its memory. When Massimo Piccin founded his winery in 1999, he chose this name as a sign of his deep connection to the terroir. A tribute to what was and a promise of what was to come. The vineyards extend over the municipalities of Bibbona and Castagneto Carducci, 40 hectares on quaternary deposits, from loose, coarse-grained sand deposits to alluvial soils with calcareous subsoil. Just ten kilometres from the sea, a microclimate that brings Bordeaux varieties to life. Since 2015, Piccin has been going his own way: instead of the prestigious Bolgheri Superiore DOCG, he deliberately chooses the free IGT Toscana, just to be able to add the handful of grapes from Bibbona that make Sapaio what it is today. Sometimes greatness means renouncing titles and regulations.

"Sassicaia really was our house wine back then," says Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta, daughter of the president of San Guido, Marquis Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta. "It was more of a wine experiment that was only tested within the family and among friends, until we went on the market for the first time with the 1968 vintage. Today, this wine is all about elegance and balance. We like this style, which is not so much about the body. Sassicaia is a good representative of what we want to convey as a style."

Guado al Tasso is not only the name of the winery, but also the historical term for a ford in the torrent on the Marchesi Antinori estate. In the Middle Ages, this was the name given to the place where one encountered the "tasso" (badger) while travelling through the water on horse and cart. This poetic place name came to symbolise a wine that combines depth and movement: A Bolgheri Superiore with provenance, history and attitude. Despite the summer heat, the 2022 vintage produced an astonishingly balanced structure. Selective harvest in the best plots between the hills and the Tyrrhenian Sea, fermentation in stainless steel, followed by 18 months of ageing in new French barriques, followed by at least 6 months of bottle ageing.

Between Sassicaia on the left and Ornellaia on the right, on the Strada del Vino of Bolgheri, lies a vineyard that has rewritten the definition of "perfect location". When Antonio Moretti Cuseri drove through the thick Maremma fog in October 2004 and suddenly emerged into the glistening sunlight of this coastal landscape, he knew: this is where he would make the Orma – his footprint. The third generation of the Moretti Cuseri family had already proven with Oreno at Tenuta Sette Ponti that their passion for Bordeaux cuvées can become an obsession. In Bolgheri, this love of Merlot and Cabernet was to find a new interpretation. On just 5.5 hectares of vines rooted deep in gravel and clay, organically farmed grapes are used to produce the wine that has been delighting international wine critics since its debut in 2005. The 2023 vintage combines half Merlot with 30 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 20 per cent Cabernet Franc – an assemblage that combines the Mediterranean climate of the Tuscan coast with the finesse of great Bordeaux growths.

In 2001, the brothers Piero and Lodovico Antinori, together with their nephew Niccolò Marzichi Lenzi, recognised the extraordinary potential of the hills of Bibbona in the upper Maremma. Instinct, passion and centuries of family experience led to a parcel-by-parcel study that would eventually become the birth of Tenuta di Biserno. The terroir of these 40 hectares at an altitude of 90 metres is of extraordinary complexity: mainly alluvial and clay-limestone soils that create the ideal environment for Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The different exposures and the distance from the sea characterise the varietal expression so strongly that the decision in favour of two production lines was obvious: Biserno – the most prestigious and representative wine of the estate – and Il Pino di Biserno.

Between Sassicaia on the left and Ornellaia on the right, on the Strada del Vino of Bolgheri, lies a vineyard that has rewritten the definition of "perfect location". When Antonio Moretti Cuseri drove through the dense fog of the Maremma in October 2004 and suddenly emerged into the glistening sunlight of this coastal landscape, he knew: this is where he would make the Orma – his footprint. The third generation of the Moretti Cuseri family had already proven with Oreno at Tenuta Sette Ponti that their passion for Bordeaux cuvées can become an obsession. In Bolgheri, this love of Merlot and Cabernet was to find a new interpretation. On just 5.5 hectares of vines rooted deep in gravel and clay, organically farmed grapes are used to produce the wine that has been delighting international wine critics since its debut in 2005. The 2023 vintage combines half Merlot with 30 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 20 per cent Cabernet Franc – an assemblage that combines the Mediterranean climate of the Tuscan coast with the finesse of great Bordeaux growths.

Deep, shiny red colour. A beguiling blend of dark cherries, plums, mocha, liquorice, leather and cloves on the nose. Very compact and powerful fruit on the palate, characterised by deep intensity, dense layers and a velvety texture. Very focussed, balanced and certainly needs a few more years to develop fully. Outstanding elegance and length. In short: an absolute beauty! SUPERIORE.DE

Guado al Tasso is not only the name of the winery, but also the historical term for a ford in the torrent on the Marchesi Antinori estate. In the Middle Ages, this was the name given to the place where one encountered the "tasso" (badger) while travelling through the water on horse and cart. This poetic place name came to symbolise a wine that combines depth and movement: A Bolgheri Superiore with provenance, history and attitude. Despite the summer heat, the 2022 vintage produced an astonishingly balanced structure. Selective harvest in the best plots between the hills and the Tyrrhenian Sea, fermentation in stainless steel, followed by 18 months of ageing in new French barriques, followed by at least 6 months of bottle ageing.

In 2001, the brothers Piero and Lodovico Antinori, together with their nephew Niccolò Marzichi Lenzi, recognised the extraordinary potential of the hills of Bibbona in the upper Maremma. Instinct, passion and centuries of family experience led to a parcel-by-parcel study that would eventually become the birth of Tenuta di Biserno. The terroir of these 40 hectares at an altitude of 90 metres is of extraordinary complexity: mainly alluvial and clay-limestone soils that create the ideal environment for Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The different exposures and the distance from the sea characterise the varietal expression so strongly that the decision in favour of two production lines was obvious: Biserno – the most prestigious and representative wine of the estate – and Il Pino di Biserno.

Guado al Tasso is not only the name of the winery, but also the historical term for a ford in the torrent on the Marchesi Antinori estate. In the Middle Ages, this was the name given to the place where one encountered the "tasso" (badger) while travelling through the water on horse and cart. This poetic place name came to symbolise a wine that combines depth and movement: A Bolgheri Superiore with provenance, history and attitude. Despite the summer heat, the 2022 vintage produced an astonishingly balanced structure. Selective harvest in the best plots between the hills and the Tyrrhenian Sea, fermentation in stainless steel, followed by 18 months of ageing in new French barriques, followed by at least 6 months of bottle ageing.

In 2001, brothers Piero and Lodovico Antinori, together with their nephew Niccolò Marzichi Lenzi, recognised the extraordinary potential of the hills of Bibbona in the upper Maremma. Instinct, passion and centuries of family experience led to a parcel-by-parcel study that would eventually become the birth of Tenuta di Biserno. The terroir of these 40 hectares at an altitude of 90 metres is of extraordinary complexity: mainly alluvial and clay-limestone soils that create the ideal environment for Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The different exposures and the distance from the sea characterise the varietal expression so strongly that the decision in favour of two production lines was obvious: Biserno – the most prestigious and representative wine of the estate – and Il Pino di Biserno.

"Sassicaia really was our house wine back then," says Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta, daughter of the president of San Guido, Marquis Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta. "It was more of a wine experiment that was only tested within the family and among friends, until we went on the market for the first time with the 1968 vintage. Today, this wine is all about elegance and balance. We like this style, which is not so much about the body. Sassicaia is a good representative of what we want to convey as a style."

"Sassicaia really was our house wine back then," says Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta, daughter of the president of San Guido, Marquis Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta. "It was more of a wine experiment that was only tested within the family and among friends, until we went on the market for the first time with the 1968 vintage. Today, this wine is all about elegance and balance. We like this style, which is not so much about the body. Sassicaia is a good representative of what we want to convey as a style."