Antinori Bolgheri Tenuta Guado Al Tasso Il Bruciato 2007

This is an amazing price/quality ratio. Strong first nose (stable smell). Second nose with woods and patisserie. Taste little black fruit and tobacco leaf. Long finish with medium bodied tannins. Great value.

89 points. The nose on this wine is very interesting to me. It’s sharp and intense with extremely defined terroir. I get a somewhat weedy, brambly component with wild greens, herbs, and sea weed. There is also some very dark berry tones, a heavy minerality, and a touch of clove-like spice. On the palate this wine opens with sweet, spicy notes of vanilla and strawberry cream. There is a hint of dried cherry and I get quite a bit of pepper with just a touch of the green, brambly tones that I picked up on the nose. There is also a strange hint of a floral/plant like note tied in there that makes me think of thistles. This wine is really well structured with firm dark tannins and sweet and juicy, almost creamy, fruit. It’s smooth and has a great density about it that make it very impressive. The Antinori family strives for elegance in their wines, and I clearly detect it in this one. This is a solid buy for the price and I would say that it outperforms a good number of Cabernet based wines from Bordeaux and California. If you like well made Bordeaux blends, you might be surprised by this one. This is definitely a wine Worth Trying. Source: What's Worth Drinking: Antinori Tasting Part 2: http://whatsworthdrinking.com/2010/05/04/post-10-antinori-tasting-part-2/

This is an affordable Cab-lover's wine from the Antinori estate. Il Bruciato, meaning "the burn," is full-bodied and is best decanted. The finish really lingers and the palate is vegetal and offers a plum-y, lightly minty/thyme-y nose. Mmm. Tasty. Decant this to open up the fruitiness.