Tenuta San Guido - Sassicaia VdT 2016

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2016 Bolgheri Sassicaia is a wine of soaring achievement. I tasted this wine several times during the course of its creation in both barrel and bottle, and the highly deserved 100-point score you see here was enthusiastically assigned at the conclusion of a mini vertical in which I tasted and compared the 2016 vintage against 2015 (which I scored 97 points). It makes perfect sense to present these two excellent vintages in back-to-back comparison fashion because they are two of the best to emerge from Bolgheri, and indeed Tenuta San Guido, in recent memory. These are very similar vintages with long, hot summer months that fueled a long growing season. There was a bit more rain in 2016, and in analytical terms this vintage has a tad more acidity. However, the results in the glass are extraordinarily different. The 2015 vintage is exuberant, round, succulent and immediate, whereas the 2016 vintage shows pinpoint sharpness and precision (with similar grit and texture at the back). That acidity will carry it long into the future as the wine completes its slow evolutionary course. This wine is chiseled and sharp with blackberry, ripe cherry, grilled herb and barbecue spice. The aromas flow from the glass in a continuous stream and are all marked by radiant intensity. The mouthfeel is long and powerful. The crisp linearity of the wine's tannic backbone is perfectly measured to the volume and depth of the fruit flavors. To my mind, the 2016 Sassicaia stands tall next to the epic 1985 vintage that set the ultimate benchmark for vino italiano.

WEINWISSER: "Ganz grosses Jahr, das sogar noch einen Tick feiner und eleganter als der wollüstige 2015er ist, der für nicht Wenige in Punkte Hedonismus dem 1985er sogar einen Tick näher kommt, den ich stets als hedonistischeren Wein wahrgenommen habe. Aber klar, der Wein ist noch ganz am Anfang seiner Entwicklung, die Grösse ist aber unverkennbar. Ungemein feinsinniges, hochelegantes, kühles Bouquet von grosser Präzision und Klarheit. Im Duft zeigt er eine fein konturierte Frucht mit Cassis, Brombeeren, Kirsche, Veilchen und zunehmend balsamischen Gewürzen und Kräutern. Nochmal weiter entwickelt gegenüber den vorangegangenen Verkostungen in den beiden vergangenen Jahren. Am Gaumen hochelegant mit fein deklinierter Frucht, ultrafein gewobenes Tannin, finessenreiche Mitte mit grandioser Brillanz und eine nahezu perfekte Balance, die diesem Sassicaia etwas Beschwingtes, geradezu Federleichtes verleiht. Noch immer sehr jugendlich. Das braucht noch viele Jahre, um ein erstes Genussfenster zu bieten. Tun Sie sich einen Gefallen und üben Sie sich bitte für mindestens 2–3 Jahre in Geduld. Kann mit Reife auf die 20/20 kommen."

DECANTER: "Bolgheri’s 2016 summer was warm but rarely excessive, with cool night-time breezes in August. A protracted harvest meant grapes were picked at optimal ripeness. The result for Sassicaia (85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc) is spectacular: elegantly muscular and bright rather than brooding. With coaxing, it reveals fragrant tobacco, blackcurrant, black cherry, tarragon, bay leaf, cedar and subtle toast, with sweet earth and waves of smooth polished tannins on the palate, and a non-stop finish. Drinking Window 2023 - 2043"

FALSTAFF: "Funkelndes, intensives Rubinrot. Eröffnet mit feinen Gewürznoten, dazu viel Cassis, Brombeere und etwas Himbeere. Am Gaumen satt und präzise, entfaltet sich mit vielen Schichten von dichtem, feinmaschigem Tannin, beschreibt einen langen Bogen, im Finale feine Frucht."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Aromas of cedar, tobacco, blue flower and spiced plum fuse together in this elegantly structured, stunning red. One of Italy's most iconic wines, the smooth, compelling palate delivers flavors of black cherry, cassis, licorice and a hint of wild herb. Taut, polished tannins provide seamless support while fresh acidity lends impeccable balance. A savory saline note lingers on the finish."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Subtle and complex aromas of blackcurrants, fresh herbs, lavender, rosemary and oyster shell. Some moss, too. Very perfumed. Full-bodied yet integrated with refined tannins that melt into the palate. Extremely classy and polished. Hard not to drink now. Try after 2021, when the tannins will have integrated even better in the wine."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Lustrous crimson. Super-subtle, already multi-layered nose. So seductive. More polished and refined than most red bordeaux 2016s (the terrroir is warmer after all). Sumptuously long. Great balance. You can already enjoy this with food. But note that it needs considerable aeration. When I decanted it it was rather dumb but after an hour in a young wine decanter it opened out to its full minerally balsamic glory – extremely subtle and well constructed. This should have a fine future."

WINE SPECTATOR: "A rich, black cherry– and black currant–flavored red, accented by cedar, wild herb and spice notes, this is supple and vibrant, with a lingering aftertaste of fruit and an emerging mineral element. Firms up nicely on the finish. Hard to keep from enjoying this now, but it will develop well with age. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2021 through 2043."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Coming from a long, hot, even growing season, the Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated 2016 Sassicaia sports a deep purple color as well as a beautiful bouquet of black and blue fruits, tobacco lead, lead pencil, and plenty of minerality. This carries to a medium to full-bodied wine that has good concentration, nicely integrated acidity, a notable sense of purity and elegance, and plenty of grainy tannins. This elegant, focused Sassicaia will benefit from 7-8 years of bottle age and drink nicely over the following two decades or more."