Antinori (Guado al Tasso), Bolgheri, Cont'Ugo 2022 - 75cl

Bolgheri built its name on Cabernet, so a pure Merlot from the Antinori estate at Guado al Tasso reads almost as a quiet rebuttal. Cont'Ugo takes its name from Ugo, a member of the family, and the wine carries a similar sense of ease. The fruit grows on clay-loam soils of alluvial origin, low on the Tuscan coast at 45 to 60 metres above sea level, where the maritime climate keeps the Merlot fragrant rather than jammy. After hand-harvesting the grapes ferment in stainless steel over roughly twenty days, with temperatures pitched to balance aromatic lift against phenolic depth, before the wine settles into barrique for its malolactic and around a year of ageing.

The 2022 pours a deep ruby. The nose leans into ripe red and small dark fruit, with Mediterranean scrub, a touch of liquorice root and an earthy, almost peaty undertone. It is full-bodied without being weighty, the tannins velvety and finely worked, and the fruit carries good persistence through a supple close. There is freshness here that keeps the richness in check, the mark of Merlot grown by the sea rather than baked inland. Approachable now, it will hold and gain nuance over the next six to eight years.

How to Serve

Pour at 16-18C in a Bordeaux glass. A younger bottle like this responds well to 30 minutes in a decanter, which lets the scrub and spice notes settle around the fruit.

Where to Drink It

Bocca di Lupo, Soho - a Tuscan-leaning kitchen that suits its coastal ease.
The River Cafe, Hammersmith - for Italian cooking that respects the bottle.
Bentley's, Piccadilly - if you want it against something off the grill.

Food Pairings

I would put it with a rare-grilled ribeye, the char and the fat drawing out the wine's dark-fruited middle.