Sassicaia 2020
    Sassicaia 2020

    Sassicaia 2020

    Last items in stock
    €289.28
    VAT included

    Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri Sassicaia 2020

    Sassicaia 2020 is part of the story of a visionary wine that revolutionised Italian production. Its genesis dates back to the 1940s, when Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, inspired by Bordeaux wines, planted Cabernet Sauvignon on his Tuscan estate. The inaugural launch of Sassicaia in 1968 challenged the paradigms of the time, quickly elevating it to icon status.

    Winemaking process: The Cabernet Sauvignon (85%) and Cabernet Franc (15%) grapes are carefully harvested by hand and vinified individually. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, followed by maceration for around 20 days. The wine matures for 24 months in French oak barrels, divided between 60 per cent new and 40 per cent second use.

    Oenology: Carlo Paoli has been the General Manager of Tenuta san guido since 2009, where he oversees the entire oenology department.

    Grapes :Cabernet Sauvignon (85%) Cabernet Franc (15%)

    Keywords: Sassicaia 2020, Tenuta San Guido, Bolgheri Sassicaia

     
    Wine Type
    Red Wine
    Format
    0,75L
    Vintage
    2020
    Producer
    Tenuta San Guido
    Country
    Italy
    Region
    Toscânia
    Robert Parker
    RP96
    Wine Spectator
    97
    James Suckling
    97
    1 Item

    The 2020 Sassicaia is a bold, rapturous wine. Dark, fleshy and expansive on the palate, the 2020 offers up scents of blackberry jam, gravel, spice, new leather, licorice and crème de cassis. Potent tannins are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. Sassicaia is never a huge wine, the 2020 does seem to have an extra dimension of textural intensity. It's an intensity that is hugely appealing. Estate Manager Carlo Paoli describes 2020 as a year with a long, rainy winter and a cold spring. "Temperatures warmed up in the middle of June," he explained. "July was very hot, but heat moderated in August. Even so, it was a year in which ripeness moved quickly, as opposed to 2021 when ripeness was more gradual. We picked the entire estate in 22 days instead of the 29-30 that is more typical." The 2020 spent 15-18 days on the skins, followed by 25 months in French oak, 50% new. Production is down about 30% because of selection in the vineyard.

    A very perfumed Sassicaia on the nose with forest floor, citrus and deep dark fruits. Blackcurrants. Cedar and black tea. Some balsamic. Pine needles. Full and very succulent. Really long, structured and complete. Tangy and energetic with a linear line of fresh tannins and acidity. Very Sassicaia throughout. 85% cabernet sauvignon and the rest is cabernet franc. Very attractive now in a youthful and vibrant way, but this will be better in three to four years. Try after 2027. (2023)

    Complex aromas and flavors of black currant, blackberry, iron, sweet tobacco and Mediterranean herbs are the hallmarks of this elegant, tensile red, which is already revealing plenty, yet still feels reserved, as though there were many more facets to be discovered. Superb harmony and freshness prevail, ending with a long aftertaste. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2045. 23,300 cases made, 5,300 cases imported.

    Mid crimson; easy to see the bottom of the glass. Intense nose with a hint of iodine. Great tanginess that seems more Tuscan than bordelais. Long and really builds towards its ample finish. Bone dry. Embryonic but convincing that a fine future lies ahead. Subtle rather than flashy. I wouldn't guess it was as much as 14%. I aerated it and gave it an hour in a young-wine decanter, and it was already a delight to drink. With more immediate appeal than many earlier vintages.

    The Tenuta San Guido 2020 Bolgheri Sassicaia speaks to those who seek a more voluptuous, opulent and, ultimately, more accessible wine. This vintage is a precise reflection of Coastal Tuscany, as opposed to a more generic "Tuscan" wine from elsewhere in this large central Italian region. You taste the ripeness and soft fruit weight that comes from a coastal appellation with especially bright luminosity and warm Mediterranean offshore breezes. Sassicaia from the cool vintages is a famously reticent or withholding wine in its earliest years, requiring a long lead time before it eases into an ideal drinking window. That's definitely not the case here. This wine is beautiful and compelling straight out of the gate, showing a lovely mix of dark fruit, oak spice, balanced freshness, textural richness, soft tannins and an expertly contained 14% alcohol content. The wine's immediate character is what distinguishes this vintage, and I wouldn't get too fussed by exaggerated cellar-aging ambitions. The wine awards sheer pleasure in its current form, with dazzling primary fruit and soaring intensity over the near and medium term.

    - Monica Larner (2023)

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