Sassicaia 2018 Tenuta San Guido, Bolgheri-Sassicaia

Named Our Collector's Wine of the Year!

The 2015 was named the #1 Wine of 2018 by Wine Spectator. Sassicaia is the original Bolgheri Super Tuscan and now even has its own DOC. It has spurred many followers but few rivals. Every vintage of this iconic wine garners lavish praise and big scores. 2017 was very hot year that will probably be remembered as one of the driest since 2003. Fortunately the daytime sea breezes, alternating with nocturnal winds coming from inland, brought refreshment to the vines. Thanks to these cooling effects the grapes stayed healthy and developed the excellent aromatic components and complex phenolics. The blend stayed at 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. Aging was in French oak barriques (40% new) for 24 months. After bottling the wine refined for 6 months in bottle before release.

Another success, this 2018 Sassicaia has garnered rave reviews. James Suckling scored this 98 points saying "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."

Wine Enthusiast Magazine scored this 98 points saying "All about radiance and finesse, this iconic Tuscan red has beguiling aromas of cedar, wild red berry, menthol and pipe tobacco that mingle with fragrant blue flowers. Made with 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, the focused, elegantly structured palate is vibrant and savory, delivering cassis, orange zest, licorice and a hint of coffee framed in taut, polished tannins. Bright acidity keeps it energized and balanced. Drink through 2033."

The Wine Advocate scored this 97+ saying "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."

Decanter Magazine scored this 97 points saying "Star bright raspberry in colour, this has an elegance and a sense of lift right from the start - a beautifully balanced, finessed and classical Sassicaia. The freshly cut and dried herbs of great Italian wines reveals themselves through the slow build up across the palate, along with gentle tobacco and liquorice notes. This is juicy and elegant, showing passion fruit and raspberry with an undertow of complexity. One to savour."

Wine Spectator scored this 96 points saying "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. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2045."