The nose is peppery and earthy, and also has a tangy, invigorating element like tart blackberries squished over damp soil and graphite. On the palate, layers of sweet, dark berries and dark chocolate create a sleek, acrobatic wine.
94 points, Danielle Callegari, Wine Enthusiast (Dec 2025)
The 2023 Cont’Ugo, made entirely from Merlot, pours a deep, inky red hue and is aromatic and inviting, with notes of crushed lavender, plum compote, blackberry, sweet earth, mint, and fresh herbs. Full-bodied, supple, and rounded, it offers velvety tannins and a balanced core of acidity that maintains freshness and lift. Sourced from vineyards across the northern, central, and southern zones of the appellation, it captures both ripeness and levity. It’s a polished and expressive wine with good depth and length. Drink 2026-2040.
93 points, Audrey Frick, Jeb Dunnuck (May 2026)
Rich, inviting and harmonious, this is laced with black cherry, blackberry, plum, vanilla, toast and earth aromas and flavors. Vibrant, with dense tannins. Expansive finish. Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2035. 11,222 cases made, 500 cases imported.
93 points, Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator (Oct 2025)
Made with 100% Merlot, the Marchesi Antinori 2023 Bolgheri Guado al Tasso Cont'Ugo reveals a soft, fleshy texture that coats the palate, carrying flavors of black cherry and blackberry with ease. The quality of the fruit is pristine and clean, sustaining the wine seamlessly from entry through the finish, though the mid-palate briefly slows under the weight of hot-vintage richness. Balance quickly returns, and the wine finishes smoothly. This is a total production of 134,600 bottles.
92 points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (Feb 2026)
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