- About This Wine
- Ratings & Reviews
- Tasting Notes
About This Wine
Ratings & Reviews
Tasting Notes
ABOUT THIS WINE
REVIEWS
In the majestic lineage of Italian winemaking, the Tenuta San Guido 2021 Sassicaia emerges as a masterpiece, embodying the sophistication and precision of Bolgheri terroir. A harmonious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, this vintage is a triumph of balance and elegance. The vineyards, situated at altitudes ranging from 100 to 300 meters, thrive in soils imbued with limestone, marl, and clay, yielding a wine of striking minerality and structure. The west and southwest exposures allow for optimal ripening, granting the grapes a profound complexity.
The 2021 vintage was characterized by a cool, rainy winter, which replenished the water reserves, followed by a temperate spring that encouraged even development. Summer unfolded with warmth and dry conditions, fostering small, concentrated berries. The meticulous application of kaolin protected the vines during the season’s intensity, preserving freshness and vitality in the fruit. Harvesting began in early September, a careful, hand-selected process extending through the first week of October, ensuring only the most pristine grapes were chosen.
In the winery, craftsmanship reached its zenith. A gentle pressing preserved the integrity of the fruit, while controlled fermentation with natural yeasts maintained an impeccable balance of pH and acidity. The judicious use of French oak—an intricate blend of second-passage, third-passage, and new barriques—enhanced the wine's complexity during its 24-month aging. Notes of fine-grained tannins were woven with a core of vibrant fruit, a testament to the winemaker's deft touch and the grapes' inherent quality.
On the palate, the Sassicaia 2021 unveils a symphony of flavors: cassis and black cherry harmonize with nuances of graphite, cedar, and a whisper of Mediterranean herbs. A bright, elegant acidity carries through to a long, mineral-laden finish, leaving an indelible impression of finesse and depth. The wine's extraordinary structure suggests potential for decades of aging, promising even greater rewards for those with patience.
The Tenuta San Guido 2021 Sassicaia is not merely a wine; it is a narrative of tradition, innovation, and the immutable connection between land and vine. Whether enjoyed in its youthful vibrancy or allowed to evolve in the cellar, this vintage stands as a benchmark in the realm of fine wine, destined to enchant connoisseurs worldwide.
Alcohol: 14%
The 2021 vintage was characterized by a cool, rainy winter, which replenished the water reserves, followed by a temperate spring that encouraged even development. Summer unfolded with warmth and dry conditions, fostering small, concentrated berries. The meticulous application of kaolin protected the vines during the season’s intensity, preserving freshness and vitality in the fruit. Harvesting began in early September, a careful, hand-selected process extending through the first week of October, ensuring only the most pristine grapes were chosen.
In the winery, craftsmanship reached its zenith. A gentle pressing preserved the integrity of the fruit, while controlled fermentation with natural yeasts maintained an impeccable balance of pH and acidity. The judicious use of French oak—an intricate blend of second-passage, third-passage, and new barriques—enhanced the wine's complexity during its 24-month aging. Notes of fine-grained tannins were woven with a core of vibrant fruit, a testament to the winemaker's deft touch and the grapes' inherent quality.
On the palate, the Sassicaia 2021 unveils a symphony of flavors: cassis and black cherry harmonize with nuances of graphite, cedar, and a whisper of Mediterranean herbs. A bright, elegant acidity carries through to a long, mineral-laden finish, leaving an indelible impression of finesse and depth. The wine's extraordinary structure suggests potential for decades of aging, promising even greater rewards for those with patience.
The Tenuta San Guido 2021 Sassicaia is not merely a wine; it is a narrative of tradition, innovation, and the immutable connection between land and vine. Whether enjoyed in its youthful vibrancy or allowed to evolve in the cellar, this vintage stands as a benchmark in the realm of fine wine, destined to enchant connoisseurs worldwide.
Alcohol: 14%
100 POINTS - "A quintessential Sassicaia that represents the excellence of the vintage and also respects the unique taste profile of this distinguished Tuscan blend of Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc. The Tenuta San Guido 2021 Bolgheri Sassicaia offers impeccable balance, excellent freshness and absolutely no signs of over-ripeness. The fruit balance is ideal with a hint of crunch and lasting tension from pulp and skins. The tannins are deftly managed with firm grip and enough velvetiness to add volume and length. There is no greenness on the bouquet that instead offers mulled herbs and spice, with cinnamon and clove, layered delicately between mostly red and some purple berry fruits. Redcurrant, blueberry, sweet pomegranate and Rainier cherry run strong in this vintage. A fragrant hint of heritage rose emerges with time. The oak tones are geared toward gingerbread, hazelnut, cigar, sandalwood and something like a grilled sweet red pepper. To the palate, it offers nice weight with no heavy glycerin, and a rinse of acidity that adds to the wine’s natural energy, brightness and viscosity. That marked freshness opens the wine up to long aging potential, but you still need to give it more time in bottle." - Robert Parker
99 POINTS - "In 2021, ‘we had a nicely paced harvest... surely a very fortunate vintage for us, for Bolgheri,’ said Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta at the launch in London of the 2021 vintage of Sassicaia. Welcome rain in mid-August came at just the right time to save the harvest, and production ended up being slightly higher than in 2020. Around eight to 10 separate vinifications were made, fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and spontaneous malo. The wines were racked to second- and third-use barriques in December 2021, then racked into a mixture of new and used barriques in March 2022. The last step was to make the final blend in stainless tanks, where the wine underwent micro-oxygenation before bottling and further maturation in bottle. Rich dark fruit and herb aromatics are pockmarked by blueberry and petrichor, leading into an intense and vertical palate that's super-fresh with a delightful breezy, saline character. Textured, integrated tannins emphasise the refinement of Sassicaia, showing just a touch of youthful dustiness. Tangy, bright black, blue and red berry fruits overlay underlying hints of dark chocolate and forest undergrowth in a remarkably precise fashion, with pomegranate and a stony minerality surfacing on the mid-palate. 2021 demonstrates lovely sapidity of fruit along with that characteristic freshness and lightness of step, finishing long and poised." - Decanter
98 POINTS - "Very classy and typical of Sassicaia with currant, tobacco, chocolate, sage and lavender on the nose and palate. Medium- to full-bodied with very integrated and refined tannins that are caressing and pretty with a lovely length and beauty. Such finesse and structure at the same time. Best in 2028 and beyond but already joy to taste." - James Suckling
99 POINTS - "In 2021, ‘we had a nicely paced harvest... surely a very fortunate vintage for us, for Bolgheri,’ said Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta at the launch in London of the 2021 vintage of Sassicaia. Welcome rain in mid-August came at just the right time to save the harvest, and production ended up being slightly higher than in 2020. Around eight to 10 separate vinifications were made, fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and spontaneous malo. The wines were racked to second- and third-use barriques in December 2021, then racked into a mixture of new and used barriques in March 2022. The last step was to make the final blend in stainless tanks, where the wine underwent micro-oxygenation before bottling and further maturation in bottle. Rich dark fruit and herb aromatics are pockmarked by blueberry and petrichor, leading into an intense and vertical palate that's super-fresh with a delightful breezy, saline character. Textured, integrated tannins emphasise the refinement of Sassicaia, showing just a touch of youthful dustiness. Tangy, bright black, blue and red berry fruits overlay underlying hints of dark chocolate and forest undergrowth in a remarkably precise fashion, with pomegranate and a stony minerality surfacing on the mid-palate. 2021 demonstrates lovely sapidity of fruit along with that characteristic freshness and lightness of step, finishing long and poised." - Decanter
98 POINTS - "Very classy and typical of Sassicaia with currant, tobacco, chocolate, sage and lavender on the nose and palate. Medium- to full-bodied with very integrated and refined tannins that are caressing and pretty with a lovely length and beauty. Such finesse and structure at the same time. Best in 2028 and beyond but already joy to taste." - James Suckling