Antinori Guado al Tasso Matarocchio

Description

Matarocchio 2016 shows a great aromatic complexity with notes of dark berry fruit which alternate with sensations of powdered chocolate, exotic spices ,and toasted coffee. The palate is an enveloping one, rich, one of excellent tension and of long persistence on the finish and aftertaste.nFirst produced in 2007 the Guado al Tasso Il Matarocchio is a single vineyard 100% Cabernet Franc, inspired by the desire to create a wine that displays the maximum expression both of a single grape variety and a single vineyard plot. Only produced in exceptional vintages this is a wine of great elegance and depth.nThe 2016 vintage in the Mataracchio vineyard was characterized by mild winter with abundant rainfall which permitted the vineyard to accumulate excellent and useful reserves of water in the sub-soil. The start of the vegetative activity of the vines began slightly ahead of schedule and then continued in a regular fashion, accompanied by a spring season with warmth and rain well within normal parameters. Summer, warm and dry on the whole, favoured a slight stress in the vineyard, particularly towards the end of the ripening phase. These climatic conditions, along with cool night-time temperatures, fully brought out the characteristics of Cabernet Franc, endowing the grapes with a rich and silky tannic texture and an excellent aromatic potential. The picking, entirely by hand, took place between September 20th and 27thnThe Guado al Tasso estate is located in the small but prestigious Bolgheri DOC, on the coast of upper Maremma, about one hundred kilometres southwest from Florence. This appellation has a relatively recent history, DOC Bolgheri was approved in 1995 and since then it has become an internationally recognized reference point for the Italian and international winemaking arena. The estate covers an area of 320 hectares (790 acres) planted with vines, set in a beautiful plain encircled by rolling hillsides known as the “Bolgheri Amphitheatre” due to its particular shape. The vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Vermentino Nero and Bianco. The nearby sea provides a mild climate with constant breezes that mitigate summer heat and alleviate harsh winter weather, maintaining a clear sky and a high level of sunlight exposure