Sassicaia Tenuta San Guido

97+: This is a classic vintage of an Italian icon now celebrating its 50th vintage. The Tenuta San Guido 2018 Bolgheri Sassicaia lays out a familiar blueprint that borrows from the proven track record of this landmark estate that extends into the hills just beyond the Tyrrhenian shores of Tuscany. This vintage is crystalline and pure in its delivery, and if you are familiar with previous editions, it is impossible to mistake this wine for anything but Sassicaia.

The 2018 Sassicaia is fabulous. Bright and beautifully poised, the 2018 opens with brilliant aromatics that make a strong first impression. Delicate and light on its feet, the 2018 is a regal wine that is going to need a number of years to come into its own. Sassicaia is the most finessed of Bolgheri’s top wines. That is very much the case in 2018 as well. I loved it. A cold winter led to a late spring and delayed start to the year. May and June saw some heat, but only moderate temperatures. Only July was truly warm, with minimal diurnal shifts. Cool winds arrived again in August, and temperatures dropped quickly, especially at night. Mid-August saw some rain. Harvest started on September 7 with the Franc and wrapped up on the 29th with the last of Cabernet Sauvignon. The year favored the estate’s oldest vineyards, those on hillside sites. The 2018 spent 19 months in oak, two-thirds new, a bit more new oak than the norm. The blend is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Franc, a bit less Franc than is often the case, as Franc suffered more under the conditions of the season.

Beautiful, serene aromas of sweet berries and wild flowers with light lavender and fresh sage. Really aromatic. A firm, silky red with medium to full body and ultra fine tannins that are polished and beautiful. Lots of blue fruit and blackberries follow through to a beautiful finish. Really tight and polished. Bright acidity. Will be lovely to drink in a few years. The 2017 and 2016 were about power, but the 2018 is about finesse and subtlety. Try after 2024.

The 2018 vintage was fresher than usual in Bolgheri, mainly due to a rainy spring which was challenging, but also following a cooler end to August. The higher vineyards on which Sassicaia could rely produced grapes with an outstanding quality of phenolics, benefitting from a useful fruit-set and mild September. The severe selection of the grapes - with a level of production similar to that of the dry 2017 - did the rest. Restrained red and black currant aromas are allied to aromatic herbs such as eucalyptus leaf and rosemary, completed by coffee bean, earthy tones and cedar. This is a wine focussed on fresh fruit, with a savoury citrus finish proving its depth. The tight-knit structure is firm with chalky yet ripe tannins and extremely fresh, natural and long acidity. More elegant than powerful, this 2018 is perfectly integrated with the Sassicaia style, full of tension. Not immediately ready to drink but promising stunning finesse.

98P+: Intense and bright dark ruby red color, vertical nose with recalls of blackberries, eucalyptus, hints of Mediterranean scrub, touches of pink pepper and taggiasca olive. The mouthfeel is taut, elegant, deep, enhanced by salty tannins and recalls of citrus and red fruits, very drinkable.

Refined and complex, this red is all about finesse and restraint, starting out with floral and black currant flavors that build steadily on the palate, with olive, cedar, tobacco and spice notes adding detail as this lingers on the terrific finish. Needs five to seven years to fully emerge.