Don Guerino Gran Reserva Traços 2020 (5 grape blend)

£36.99

A product of the superb 2020 vintage, this is the formidable flagship red blend of the Don Guerino winery, a family-run business now run by three brothers.

Traços (‘traces’) combines an impressive five different grape varieties – Merlot (30%), Tannat (30%), Malbec (20%), Teroldego (15%) and Cabernet Franc (5%) – while managing to be both powerful and elegant at the same time.

We expect this beautifully presented wine to have excellent ageing potential – indeed, it has just been awarded 91 points by Decanter magazine (Sept 23) and was described as ‘rich, complex, lingering..will continue to evolve in bottle..’.

On our recent visit we discovered that winemaker Bruno Motter was named ‘Brazil’s Winemaker of the Year’ in 2022. A talented and modest guy, he never told us!

Nb. this same 2020 vintage is also available in Double Magnum (300cl).

Description

ABV: 14.5%

APPEARANCE: Dense, deep purple

AROMAS: Initially oaky on the nose but opens up to show mature damson, black berry and plum fruit; spicy, smoky, dark chocolate and mocha notes may be apparent too

TASTE: Rich and concentrated dark red fruits with a savoury twist; altogether elegant and well balanced. Tannins are surprisingly mellow; full bodied, with a lovely long aftertaste

FOOD PAIRING: Serve with spicy foods, steaks, roasts, casseroles or mature hard cheeses

OVERALL: A stunning five grape blend (comprising Merlot, Tannat, Malbec, Teroldego & Cab Franc), made only in the best vintages. Powerful and with a great structure, the wine continues to evolve and still has considerable ageing potential. Ideally decant before drinking!

A previous vintage, the 2017, scored 89 points in Decanter (October 2019).

If you like this, try our other top Red Blends