Wine Advisor
Tenuta San Guido, Guidalberto Toscana IGT 2011
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Description
Guidalberto marks the new millennium: the 2000 vintage appears on the market with less pretense than Sassicaia and with a more approachable drinkability, while showing a great aging potential. It is not intended to follow in the footsteps of Sassicaia, but rather be a wine that shows another expression of the Tenuta San Guido territory. The label depicts the Oratory of San Guido and the wine is named after the family ancestor Guidalberto della Gherardesca, an agricultural pioneer in the Bolgheri area. It was in the first decades of the 1800’s when he built the first factories, and churches, and planned the avenue of cypress trees, the Viale dei Cipressi. These trees were initially used to mark the boundaries between the different crops. Its ornamental value, with the tall cypresses running in double rows, came after that.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
The 2011 Guidalberto reveals a plump, opulent and irresistible style. The 2011 vintage was a scorcher in much of Italy, but Bolgheri performed very nicely thanks to the soft sea breezes that kept the summer heat in check. There is beautiful fruit ripeness here, but the wine never feels overdone or overblown. Expert winemaking is clearly at hand. You can almost feel the crunch of the berries in your mouth and the soft tannins have been expertly managed. Dark cherry, blackberry preserves, spice, candied almond and tarry licorice rise from the glass. The wine is still youthful with a darkly extracted personality that will flesh out further in time.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
Made with Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) and Merlot, the 2011 Guidalberto opens to dark, rich concentration and beautiful aromatic intensity. You really feel the weight and importance of the wine thanks to its shapely aromas of dark fruit, plum, spice and bitter chocolate. The mouthfeel is incredibly supple and the rich density is long lasting. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2022. The buzz is back. Italy’s most iconic wine estate – the ground zero for all fine wine made in the country today – has entered an exciting new chapter with a renewed sense of purpose. This change was not sparked by any single event, rather a confluence of events starting with a fortuitous string of great vintages. I point to the 2009 Sassicaia that so closely recalls the glorious 1985 in its beauty and profound abundance. Driving his Jeep through his vineyards, with all those little Jack Russell heads straining through the open windows, Marchese Nicolo Incisa della Rocchetta has good reason to smile. Much of coastal Tuscany once served as a giant hunting reserve for Florentine nobility. Importer: Kobrand Corp.; www.kobrandwineandspirits.com
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Mocha, espresso, plums and cloves form a highly expressive mosaic of aromas and flavors in the 2011 Guidalberto. Wonderfully open and seductive, the 2011 captures the essence of Bolgheri in a style that is resonant and super sensual. Silky tannins make the 2011 impossible to resist today. San Guido hit it out of the park with the 2011 Guidalberto.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Aromas of fresh mint, berries and currants. Full body, with chewy tannins and a berry, vanilla, chocolate and currant aftertaste. This is a very beautiful wine from the makers of Sassicaia and a fraction of the price of the big wine. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40 % Merlot. Better in 2015.
About the Producer
Tenuta San Guido is located in the seaside area of Bolgheri in Toscana, Italy. The Sassicaia wine produced by the winery is known as the king of wine in Italy and enjoys the reputation of "Italian Lafite". Marquis Mario (Mario Incisa della Rocchetta) is the founder of the San Guito winery. He loves fine wine, horse racing and environmental protection, and has always dreamed of making a wine of excellent quality, an Italian wine that can swept the upper class. Well, it's Bordeaux style. In the 1940s, Marquis Mario and his wife came to live in the winery of San Guito. The innovation of "the first person to eat crabs". Winery San Guito made Sicilian wines from 1948 until the mid-1960s, but it was only consumed in-house. 1968 was a year to remember. This year, the ever-improving Cissicaia was launched for the first time. In the international blind tasting competition that year, Cissicaia’s excellent performance shocked the entire wine world, and its popularity was comparable to that of the top wineries in Bordeaux. Sanguito Winery's vineyard covers an area of 173 acres (about 70 hectares), all located in the DOC production area of Siciia, and the garden is planted with 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. The average age of the vines is 25-30 years, the planting density is 4,000-5,000 vines/ha, and the average yield is 1 kg/plant. Winemaking at San Guito Winery takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel barrels that hold between 3,500 liters and 11,000 liters. The dipping time is approximately 2 weeks. Aged for 2 years in 33% new French oak barrels with a capacity of 225 liters. The main wine produced by San Guito Winery is San Guito Winery Xishijiaya dry red wine. This wine is one of the most famous Italian wines, made with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Recent good years include: 2000, 1998, 1997, 1993, 1990, 1988, 1985, 1982, 1978 and 1975.
