TENUTA SAN GUIDO 'Sassicaia' - Bolgheri, Tuscany 2008 Bottle

Description

The 2008 Sassicaia is a refined and elegant vintage, offering vibrant aromas of blackberries, cherries, and cassis, beautifully interwoven with hints of herbs and balsamic. Its silky tannins and lively acidity provide excellent structure and freshness, with subtle notes of cedar and dark chocolate adding complexity. The wine's balanced, persistent finish highlights its finesse and potential for ageing. Wine Enthusiast, Decanter, and The Wine Advocate each awarded it 97 points, noting its remarkable concentration, complexity, and depth. James Suckling also rated it 97 points, praising its aromas and texture, while Vinous scored it 96 points for its class and firm structure. Jancis Robinson awarded it 18.5 points, highlighting its sophistication and balance. Drink from 2017 to 2035.

*****

WINE ENTHUSIAST 97 points
Recently implemented winemaker and cellar changes make this one of the best Sassicaias ever. This Cabernet Sauvignon-Cabernet Franc blend delivers thick concentration and sun-kissed aromas of black fruit, prune, dried bay leaf, black olive and tobacco. The thick, fertile soils that characterize the magical strip of coastal Tuscany at Bol-gheri help shape amazing richness and intensity.

DECANTER 97 points
Drinking Window: 2022 - 2038
The 2008 Sassicaia has plenty of dark fruit and it is still tight and youthful. On the palate there is bright acidity and a vibrant, energetic quality about this wine. The tannins are very fine and beautifully integrated into the body of the wine. There is a lovely range of flavours with savoury, tea leaf, smoke and tobacco notes. There is plenty of depth and concentration but also great finesse. Priscilla Incisa Della Rocchetta notes that the number '8' is a lucky one for Tenuta San Guido. They released their first vintage with the 1968 and won the best Cabernet in the Decanter blind tasting in 1978. This 2008 is also one of the great vintages for Sassicaia.

THE WINE ADVOCATE 97 points
Drink Date 2017 - 2035
The 2008 Bolgheri Sassicaia is a wine without a winemaker. The last vintage made by Giacomo Tachis was 2007 and incoming enologist Graziana Grassini claims 2009 as her first vintage. Within the context of this retrospective, the 2008 vintage opens a new chapter, because it is the first wine to show evident tertiary definition and complexity. In fact, the wine performs beautifully with an exalted performance and ethereal aromas. They include cassis, wild berry, crushed mineral, licorice, petrol and grilled herb. This wine is really coming together now and is entering a very exciting moment in its drinking life. It boasts finesse, elegance and grace. Yet, it also shows unmistakable richness and structure that gives the wine an enormous presence in terms of mouthfeel. This was one of the top highlights of the retrospective. - Monica Larner, 2017.

JAMES SUCKLING 97 points
This is the best young Sassicaia in years. It's the new 1988, which was great, and sometimes better than the legendary 1985. What incredible aromas here with blueberries, spices, licorice, plums. Graphite too. Subtle and complex. Full and silky with a beautiful texture of fine tannins and an ultra-fine finish. So beautiful now but will be much better in 2015. Owner Niccolo Incisa della Rocchetta says that Sassicaia is always great in years that end with eight: 1958, 1968, 1978, 1988, 1998, and 2008.

VINOUS 96 points
The 2008 Sassicaia is a rich, deep wine imbued with notable class in its black cherries, plums, grilled herbs, minerals and smoke. The 2008 is a decidedly buttoned-up, firm Sassicaia that is currently holding back much of its potential, unlike the 2006 and 2007, both of which were far more obvious wines. Readers who can afford to wait will be treated to a sublime wine once this settles down in bottle. Muscular, firm tannins frame the exquisite finish in this dark, implosive Sassicaia. The 2008 Sassicaia is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. The wine spent 24 months in French oak barrels.

JANCIS ROBINSON 18.5 points
Really classy stuff. Great balance. Very grown-up and sophisticated. Very dry and restrained and different from most. (JR)