FORMAT: 0.75L
GRAPE VARIETY: MERLOT 100%
VINTAGE: 2020
PLACE: TUSCANY -ITALY
ALCOHOL CONTENT: 14.5%VOL
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Exclusively Merlot grapes to interpret the Bolgheri territory according to a new perspective. The vineyards, located at an altitude between 45 and 60 meters above sea level on silty-clayey soils of predominantly alluvial origin, give Cont'Ugo great depth and complexity while preserving the fragrance and exuberance of the fruit typical of Merlot. |
CLIMATE:
The 2020 vintage began with a mild winter and sporadic rainfall. The sudden return of cold in March, marked by a frost at the end of the month, fortunately did not cause significant damage in the Bolgheri area. Temperatures increased from mid-April and spring continued regularly, favoring good flowering and fruit set, which occurred between the end of May and the beginning of June. The summer was generally hot and dry, but without heat peaks. September was characterized by above-average temperatures until the last week of the month, after which a generally cool and rainy climate was recorded that continued until October. The harvest began on September 3 with the first Merlot selected for Cont'Ugo and ended on September 30 with the grapes from the later vineyards and harvested at a more advanced stage of ripeness.
VINIFICATION:
After manual harvesting and careful selection in the cellar, the grapes were transferred to thermo-conditioned stainless steel tanks where alcoholic fermentation and maceration took place, lasting approximately 20 days. The fermentation temperature was managed according to the level of ripeness of the grapes: lower temperatures were chosen to maintain greater aromatic freshness, and higher temperatures, up to approximately 30 °C, to emphasize polyphenolic extraction and structure. The different lots, divided by characteristics, were transferred to barriques where they completed malolactic fermentation by the end of the year. The best lots were assembled and transferred again to barriques, 10% new and 90% second passage, for a further 12 months of maturation at the end of which the wine was bottled. Cont'Ugo then refined in the bottle for 3 months before being released onto the market.
HISTORICAL DATA:
Tenuta Guado al Tasso is located in the small and prestigious DOC of Bolgheri, on the coast of Alta Maremma, about a hundred kilometers southwest of Florence. This denomination has a relatively young history (it was founded in 1994) but boasts an international reputation as a new point of reference in the world wine scene. Tenuta Guado al Tasso extends over an area of about 320 hectares planted with vineyards, in a splendid plain surrounded by hills known as the "Bolgheri amphitheater" for its particular shape. The vineyards of Guado al Tasso are mainly composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Vermentino grapes, the latter grown with both white and red grapes. They enjoy a mild climate due to the nearby presence of the sea: constant breezes mitigate the summer heat and the rigours of winter, clear the sky and keep the sunshine index high. Cont'Ugo is born exclusively from Merlot grapes to interpret the Bolgheri territory according to a new perspective. The vineyards, located at an altitude between 45 and 60 meters above sea level on silty-clayey soils of predominantly alluvial origin, give Cont'Ugo great depth and complexity while preserving the fragrance and exuberance of the fruit typical of Merlot.