Matarocchio
Climate
The beginning of the 2017 growing season was defined by rather dry and mild winter conditions that prompted early bud break. A sudden drop in temperatures at the end of April affected many areas in Tuscany but didn’t cause any damage in Bolgheri due to its proximity to the sea that mitigates temperatures and kept them above freezing. From May through August the weather turned hot and dry, conditions that limited the vines’ vegetative cycle and reduced cluster size. Rainfall at the end of August and September brought temperatures down a notch and allowed the berries to complete a perfectly balanced ripening phase, especially in the late ripening varieties. Out of all the grape varieties grown, Cabernet Franc was perhaps the grape variety that performed the best under bizarre climatic conditions, concentrating extracts and aromatic notes without losing its characteristic freshness and balance. The grape harvest took place on September 13th for the first vineyard parcel and on the 20th/21st for the last two parcels.
Vinification
Grapes were hand harvested, meticulously selected berry by berry on sorting tables then gently crushed and underwent a period of pre-fermentation cold maceration before alcoholic fermentation. The wine was transferred into new French oak barriques where malolactic fermentation was completed, and the wine continued to age for 18 months. Once aging was complete and after careful barrel tasting, the best barriques were selected and blended to craft Matarocchio. The wine was then left to age for over a year in the bottle before being released.
Historical Data
The Guado al Tasso estate is located in the small but prestigious Bolgheri DOC, on the coast of upper Maremma, about one hundred kilometers 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 about 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. 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.
Tasting Notes
Matarocchio 2017 is rich with an intense color. Its nose offers aromas of juniper, bay leaves, Morello cherries and licorice. Despite vintage forecasts, this wine is not overly opulent: no overripe notes, rather it delivers great elegance, clean and pure both on the nose and palate that make it, at present, almost austere. Tannins are exceptionally smooth and silky. A vintage that holds exceptional potential to evolve and express its finest characteristics even in the years to come.
The Wine
Il Matarocchio was inspired by the desire to create, at the Guado al Tasso estate, a wine that was the maximum expression both of a single grape variety and a single vineyard plot. Il Matarocchio was born precisely from one of these sites and is a wine of great elegance and depth, one which springs exclusively from its source of origin and from a remarkable vintage such as 2007.
Climate
The beginning of the 2017 growing season was defined by rather dry and mild winter conditions that prompted early bud break. A sudden drop in temperatures at the end of April affected many areas in Tuscany but didn’t cause any damage in Bolgheri due to its proximity to the sea that mitigates temperatures and kept them above freezing. From May through August the weather turned hot and dry, conditions that limited the vines’ vegetative cycle and reduced cluster size. Rainfall at the end of August and September brought temperatures down a notch and allowed the berries to complete a perfectly balanced ripening phase, especially in the late ripening varieties. Out of all the grape varieties grown, Cabernet Franc was perhaps the grape variety that performed the best under bizarre climatic conditions, concentrating extracts and aromatic notes without losing its characteristic freshness and balance. The grape harvest took place on September 13th for the first vineyard parcel and on the 20th/21st for the last two parcels.
Vinification
Grapes were hand harvested, meticulously selected berry by berry on sorting tables then gently crushed and underwent a period of pre-fermentation cold maceration before alcoholic fermentation. The wine was transferred into new French oak barriques where malolactic fermentation was completed, and the wine continued to age for 18 months. Once aging was complete and after careful barrel tasting, the best barriques were selected and blended to craft Matarocchio. The wine was then left to age for over a year in the bottle before being released.
Historical Data
The Guado al Tasso estate is located in the small but prestigious Bolgheri DOC, on the coast of upper Maremma, about one hundred kilometers 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 about 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. 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.
Tasting Notes
Matarocchio 2017 is rich with an intense color. Its nose offers aromas of juniper, bay leaves, Morello cherries and licorice. Despite vintage forecasts, this wine is not overly opulent: no overripe notes, rather it delivers great elegance, clean and pure both on the nose and palate that make it, at present, almost austere. Tannins are exceptionally smooth and silky. A vintage that holds exceptional potential to evolve and express its finest characteristics even in the years to come.
Tenuta Guado al Tasso
The Guado al Tasso estate is located in the small but prestigious Bolgheri DOC, on the coast of upper Maremma, about one hundred kilometers 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), 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.
Antinori Estates
Estates in Italy
