“TASTING NOTES:View: Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto 2017 presents as a deep cherry purple.Nose: Dark berries and currants, dark cherries, cigar box, mushroomy earth, roses and violets.Mouth: Elegant and sumptuous red and purple fruit opening is decorated with subtle liquorice and blue flowers, supported by finely-textured tannins. A perfect balance of ripe juicy fruit and dense spicy oak, with a subtle underpinning of graphite. The finish is a marathon, not a sprint, with a last linger of coffee bean.APPELLATION: TuscanyVINEYARD: Tenuta San Guido, a producer in the Bolgheri DOC, known as a producer of Super Tuscan wines such as Sassicaia. Member of the Primum Familiae Vini.GRAPES: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% MerlotAGEING: 15 months, mostly in French oak barrels, some in American oak barrels.PREPARATION: Hand-picking commenced with Merlot at the end of August and continued into September for Cabernet, followed by manual grape selection. Soft pressing and destemming of bunches prevented over-release of tannins from broken fruit. Fermentation was in stainless steel vats at 26-28°C with no added yeasts. Maceration of 12-15 days for Merlot and 10-13 days for Cabernet. Frequent pumpovers and délestages to support aromatic expression of the musts. Malolactic fermentation in November in stainless steel vats.PAIRING: Red meat, strong cheese, rich desserts. As delicious paired with steak, garlic mushrooms, and cheesy mashed potatoes as with white fish in a citrus and herb sauce. Divine with a cheese or chocolate soufflé.RECOMMENDED SERVING TEMPERATURE: 16-18°CALCOHOL: 14%”
