2020 Sassicaia, "beautiful and compelling straight out of the gate” (ML)
2020 Tenuta San Guido, Sassicaia
£1,200 per case (6*75cl OWC) in bond
*The new 96-point release of this most famous of Italian wines*
*Sassicaia is always an instant sell-out on release*
*Production down 25% this year*
The new vintage release of Sassicaia is always one of the early highlights of the fine wine calendar. With 96 points from Monica Larner, the 2020 continues that trend and is a wine that “awards sheer pleasure in its current form, with dazzling primary fruit and soaring intensity”. Sassicaia is always an instant sell-out, and with this score and news that production is 25% down, the 2020 will be no exception.
An icon of fine wine, Sassicaia needs no introduction and is one of the most recognisable labels on the market for good reason, it is consistently outstanding. First made in 1968, this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc has risen to become arguably Italy’s most famous wine, and a must-own for collectors across the globe on release as this has always ensured getting it at the best price.
2020 was a warm vintage for Tuscany, but Sassicaia’s Tenuta San Guido is easily able to cope and, through world-class winemaking allied to draconian selection, crafted a Sassicaia that is an excellent counterpoint to more statuesque and structured vintages. As Larner says, this “speaks to those who seek a more voluptuous, opulent and, ultimately, more accessible wine” and is “beautiful and compelling straight out of the gate”.
2020 Tenuta San Guido, Sassicaia
£1,200 per case (6*75cl OWC) in bond – very limited, enquire for details
96 points Monica Larner
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. (2023) www.robertparker.com Drink 2024-2042
97 points Kerin O’Keefe
The 2020 Sassicaia reveals enticing aromas of blue flower, dark-skinned fruit and sea breeze. Smooth and delicious, the generous palate delivers layers of ripe blackcurrant, crushed raspberry, licorice and dried botanical herb. Exhibiting more concentration and richness than usual, it’s also polished and poised, with velvety, tightly woven tannins that envelope the finish. Drink through 2032.
Offered subject to final confirmation. Available Summer 2023.
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