Cont'Ugo, Guado al Tasso 2022 75cl

Cont'Ugo is Guado al Tasso's varietal Merlot, a plush, coast-influenced red that shows why Bolgheri has become one of Italy's most sought-after addresses for the grape. The 2022 is generous and welcoming.

Named after a member of the Antinori family, Cont'Ugo comes from the estate's Bolgheri vineyards, where the maritime climate and gravelly soils give Merlot both ripeness and freshness. It is aged in French oak barriques for around a year, which rounds the fruit and adds a fine-grained structure without burying the variety's natural softness. The 2022 was a warm, dry vintage, giving concentration and ripe tannins.

The nose leads with ripe black cherry and plum, layered with cocoa, sweet spice and a hint of dried herbs. On the palate it is smooth and mouth-filling, with velvety tannins and a warming, fruit-forward core that carries through to a lightly savoury finish. This is Merlot in its charming, approachable register rather than its brooding one.

It drinks well now and will hold comfortably for another five or six years. At around £46 it sits below the estate's flagship reds while still delivering real Bolgheri polish, making it a smart way into the region.

How to Serve

Serve at 16-18°C in a large glass. A short decant of half an hour lifts the aromatics nicely.

Where to Drink It

Bocca di Lupo in Soho, for Italian cooking with weight. Trullo in Islington, whose grill suits it. Manteca in Shoreditch, for house-made pasta and salumi.

Food Pairings

Rare roast beef, or a rich mushroom and beef ragu over pappardelle.