We tasted Sassicaia 2019 last year in the December of 2021 shortly after it had been taken out of the barrels and assembled. We waited before talking about it and allowed it the time it deserves to rest in the bottle.
Before telling you more about this legend, one of it’s kind, we were really happy to be able to taste two wines who continue to grow and give moments of pleasure and all round conviviality : Le Difese and Guidalberto.
Le Difese 2020 is a truly graceful wine, friendly and very welcoming. It is expressive, luminous and decidedly captivating, an agile and precise drink. It immediately gives itself to it’s utmost, and in a single sip brings the kindness and wisdom of the Master winemakers of Tenuta San Guido to mind.
The actual blend of Le Difese is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Sangiovese. In the 2020 vintage the wine is precise and shows true character and smoothness. It’s hard to think of a competitor of this level with this volume of production and at this price.
Guidalberto 2020 is a strong wine yet at the same time decidedly fascinating in it’s really intense nuances and mediterranean character. From when Mario Incisa della Rocchetta guessed the potential of Bolgheri as far back as 1942 and planted rooted cuttings of Cabernet Sauvingnon, the territory and the many expressions which have emerged over the years have grown expotentially.
The terrain that Guidalberto comes from is rich in limestone, clay and pebbles, these sensations are transmitted in the tasting thanks to the warmth and harmony of the matrix; balanced and admirably projected.
The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot may vary in their percentuals according to the vintage but are often close to 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. In the 2020 vintage the blend was 54% Cabernet Sauvignon and 46% Merlot.
The final tasting was of Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri-Sassicaia Sassicaia 2019, a wine which is unique for it’s depth and the passion it transmits.
The much awaited Sassicaia 2019 has arrived with a delicate and persuasive vintage but is decidedly complex in the character it wanted to emulate; the 2018 vintage.
Sassicaia 2019 is very deep in colour and on the nose. It is a wine we need to wait for in order to find it in it’s best form yet it’s also already so carved and precise giving attractive tension and is chameleon like in the glass.
The sensory picture is intense and really large. It’s reminiscent of ripe fruits such as sour cherries and black prunes but is also decidedly rich in hints of mediterranean herbs like marjoram and wild thyme.
Sassicaia 2019 is a milestone that will remain a point of reference for great international blends in the panorama of Italian viticulture for a long time.
It is a wine that is certainly more loaded with material compared to other vintages which we have been able to taste but moves it’s force in an extremely noble manner, elegant in the sip, remaining genuine and with no frills.
In comparison to the 2016 vintage Sassiciai 2019 has got more material, more fat, above all in the attack with more polymerized tannins that give a velvety sensation on the palate, reminding us more of the enveloping sensations of a Cabernet Sauvignon than the spiciness of Cabernet Franc. The blend in 2019 was 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. The finale remains full and vibrant giving a really fulfilling feeling in the closure and in the after-tasting.
Sassicaia 2019 is a wine which is both harmonic and complex at the same time. It is one of the vintages that will be mostly appreciated by collectors and people who love the Bolgheri symbol yet at the same time it’s the perfect vintage for newbies who will have the chance to taste, for the first time, this masterpiece of Italian oenology.
Sassicaia 2019 is more than ever a flatterer and a tempter, it clings to it’s lovers and drags them into teffifying depths, prohibitively damned yet reassuring.
Following are the comments on all the wines tasted:
Red Wines
| Producer | Denomination | Wine | Vintage | Score | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenuta San Guido | Bolgheri-Sassicaia | Sassicaia | 2019 | 99 | Red | |
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It’s very strong and it’s impossible to scratch the serious,austere sensory profile of Sassicaia 2019. Deep and comes alive silently in the glass over time, animating the scene with perfumes which strongly recall mediterranean herbs. The primary picture is rich in sour cherries, black prunes, black tea leaves, wet grass, cloves, nutmeg and marjoram. Memories of decisive oriental spices hover around the borders of the calamatic sensory image which are difficult to cross. Full bodied, sensual and noble in the sip showing grace and equilibrium, wisdom and knowledge which comes from a big, well projected vision that started with the workers in the vineyard. The silky tannins are perfectly polymerized and the finale of commendable canonic beauty brings back memories of a ‘Sanmartiniana’ perfection with it’s passion and impetus. A masterpiece of Italian oenology which could live forever. Better from 2026. |
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| Tenuta San Guido. | Toscana | Guidalberto | 2020 | 94 | Red | |
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Violent and profound, Guidalberto describes the 2020 vintage with a very dark profile with notes of sour cherries, black prunes, fondant chocolate, burnt sage and marjoram. Fresh nuances slowly emerge with the passage of time in the glass showing a progressive balminess made up of withered white flowers and mandarin juice fused with the green tones of peppermint. Full bodied, strong and layered in the sip showing grace and character with remarkable distension. Splendid now but better from 2024. |
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| Tenuta San Guido | Toscana | Le Difese | 2020 | 93 | Red | |
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The brilliant ruby red colour with warm tones of purple, Le Difese 2020 is truly captivating and pronounced. The notes of geraniums blend well with scents of cherries, prunes, cassis and wild myrtle. Medium bodied, tannins perfectly mature on the palate and an agile finale, well supported by an honest acidic freshness. A dynamic, fulfilling expression of Le Difese. Drink now. |
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