Antinori Tenuta Guado al Tasso Cont’Ugo Bolgheri 2022

Cont'Ugo comes from Marchesi Antinori, whose Tenuta Guado al Tasso sits in the coastal Bolgheri appellation on the Tuscan Tyrrhenian shore. The estate's clay and gravel soils drain freely and hold summer warmth, while sea breezes off the Ligurian coast temper the heat and stretch the growing season, giving Merlot both ripeness and freshness. This bottling is single varietal Merlot, a grape suited to Bolgheri's warm maritime climate, where it ripens fully without losing acidity. The wine spends twelve months in barrel, the oxygen exchange through the staves softening tannin and knitting the fruit to gentle woodspice and vanilla. The colour is a deep ruby. The nose leads with ripe red fruits, currant, raspberry and cherry, over tobacco, cedar and a savoury earthiness. The palate is medium to full, the tannins rounded and the finish carrying dark cherry and a saline lift from the coast. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, ideally decanted for half an hour. It suits roast beef, grilled lamb and hard aged cheeses.