Guado al Tasso 2001

Of the wines in this flight, the 2001 Bolgheri Guado al Tasso gave the most immediate pleasure. This wine is seductive, supple and soft thanks to its dark cherry, ripe fruit, exotic spice, cassis, grilled herb, crushed mineral and sweet chewing tobacco. The blend is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (with smaller parts Merlot and Syrah). It shows integrity, conservation and purity. In fact, this edition of Guado al Tasso tastes a bit younger than it really is. There's nothing to not like here. The quality of fruit is forceful but pristine, and the mouthfeel is nicely layered and long in length. In the greater scheme of things, Antinori's landmark wine is slightly less complex than some of the great wines also presented at this Masterclass--but that gap is minimal. This is an impressive wine and if you have bottles in your cellar, you can count on it to award great pleasure and overall satisfaction. Drink date: 2016-2026. Score - 96+. (Monica Larner, robertparker.com, Jan. 28, 2016)