Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto 2021

Decanter 95 / WA 94 / JD 94 / JS 93 pts

Decanter 95 pts : According to Tenuta San Guido’s director of winemaking, Carlo Paoli, the 2021 is the best Guidalberto he has ever made. The percentage of Merlot was reduced back to the typical 40% this year because the quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon was so good. The 2021 Guidalberto is very deeply coloured, almost black with a narrow purple rim. It took an hour or so to really open up, but when it did, it had a wonderful range of aromas and flavours. Cassis and blueberry, blue flowers, and violet and iris notes are followed by a palate full of perfectly ripe blackberries and blueberries wrapped in gentle, cream flavours. This is a wine of velvety richness balanced by vivid acidity, with very pure, focused flavours and aromas. Delightful!

WA 94 pts : A classic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the Tenuta San Guido 2021 Guidalberto shows tart cherry fruit with darker tones of blackberry and plum. This vintage delivers especially chiseled and focused fruit characteristics that are elegantly framed by light spice, cola and earth. This vintage shows a heightened sense of intensity and territorial identity that is the hallmark of this storied estate.

JD 94 pts : Displaying a deep, nearly opaque purple color, the 2021 Guidalberto is fleshy, seductive, and impressively aromatic at this youthful stage, with a floral perfume of crushed violets, boysenberry, and graphite. Composed of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot, it’s one of the most expressive releases of this wine I’ve tasted. Full-bodied, with a bright lift of acidity, it has ripe, tight-grained tannins and a well-coiled structure. As it opens in the glass, it starts to reveal more earth notes with turned soil.

JS 93 pts : Aromas of blackcurrants, dark cherries, chocolate, ground spices and crushed rocks. Medium- to full-bodied with compact but supple and polished tannins. Shows savory notes with hints of dried mushrooms and chocolate. Attractive with a lingering finish.