98 Vinous
The 2019 Matarocchio is the most elegant and refined edition of pure Cabernet Franc yet. There is plenty of aromatic Franc intensity and tons of depth, but less of the more heavily extracted style that marked the early years. Don’t get me wrong, that approach can work with Franc, as those wines showed, but I find greater delineation, focus and cut here. In 2018 and 2020, this juice was used to improve Guado al Tasso. The 2019 spent 18 months in 100% new oak, all Taransaud barrels.
97 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I've been tracking the increasing percentage of Cabernet Franc in the blend of this iconic Tuscan wine. The 2019 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso is made with 25% Cabernet Franc, with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot. That this heat-resistant grape now makes up a quarter of the blend speaks to how vintners are gearing up to counter climate change. These are intelligent choices, and you can count on this wine to maintain that level of extreme elegance and intensity that it is known for (even when Merlot was a bigger part of the blend). Indeed, this is a new and improved Guado al Tasso with focused aromas of pencil shaving, white pepper and crushed stone that frame a rich core of black fruit. A fluttering of dried mint gives lift and power to the bouquet. This is a beautifully linear and powerful red blend.
96 Wine Enthusiast
This gorgeous, full-bodied red opens with layers of aromas including camphor, pipe tobacco, oak-driven spice and ripe black-skinned fruit. Boasting structure and finesse, the intense palate delivers ripe black plum, juicy cherry, licorice and menthol framed in ultrarefined tannins and fresh acidity. Drink 2026–2039.
