TENUTA SAN GUIDO 'Sassicaia' - Bolgheri, Tuscany 2016 Bottle

Description

Sassicaia is the wine that redefined Italian winemaking, and the 2016 vintage is already being hailed as a modern legend. Coming from the Bolgheri coast in Tuscany, this is a masterful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

It is a wine of immense elegance and poise rather than just raw power. On the nose, it is wonderfully aromatic with notes of dark cherries, wild herbs, and a touch of cedar. The palate is seamless, showing incredible depth and a refined, mineral structure that is the hallmark of this estate. The tannins are silky and perfectly integrated, leading into a finish that lingers for minutes. It is a sophisticated, world class red that captures the very soul of the Tuscan coast.

DECANTER 100
Tasted by: Aldo Fiordelli (at San Guido, Consorzio Bolgheri, 24 Jun 2019)
Drinking Window: 2020 - 2045
One of the secret of Bolgheri’s mediterranean and windy climate is to turn pyrazines from the Cabernets into extra-dimensional scents of citron and leafy aromas. Sassicaia has been producing Cabernet-based wines here since 1968, which are typically marked by this fresh character on the nose. There's a note of kiwi peel that's particularly intense in this 2016, along with some cedar. In this vintage, its character is - if possible - more restrained than usual and definitely more so than the exceptional 2015. Small dark fruits lurk in the depth of the super-youthful nose, while on the palate the wine is not completely ready to drink - despite the good integration of oak, the tannins are still crunchy, perfectly ripe yet chewy, pushed by a lively acidity. An extremely elegant Sassicaia with a refined finish, this is built for the long haul and is possibly the best of this decade.

THE WINE ADVOCATE 98
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
Drink Date: 2023 - 2050
Tenuta San Guido’s 2016 Bolgheri Sassicaia, a wine that earned a three-digit score upon release, is more closed at the moment, showing an intriguing evolution in the glass as it moves from timid to briefly expressive before settling back into a quieter phase. The bouquet reveals beautiful savory tones with an almost ferrous edge, gaining complexity with elegant citrus accents of bergamot and blood orange that give the wine added articulation. The palate is defined by a delicate touch of fruit sweetness followed by lasting freshness, delivering both poise and power. Produced in a classic, structured vintage on the estate’s coastal Bolgheri vineyards, this is unquestionably an epic wine, though tasted alongside the 2021 and 2023 in this vertical, it yielded a narrow edge to those later vintages on this occasion.

JAMES SUCKLING 97-98
The aromas are full of blue fruits and an underlying minerality. Hot stones and some rust to boot. Full-bodied yet refined and structured with compacted and tight tannins and an ultra-long finish. Savory and minerally at the end. Seamless texture. Great composure.

VINOUS 97
Drinking window: 2026 - 2046
The 2016 Sassicaia is magnificent. Just starting to open aromatically, the 2016 is quite youthful and vigorous on the palate. Its breadth and textural intensity become increasingly apparent with a bit of time in the glass. Dark-toned fruit, gravel, dried herbs, lavender and mocha are all boldly sketched in a super-impressive Sassicaia that will reward cellaring. The growing season got off to a very early start. Warm temperatures continued through to summer, but well-timed August rain and a drop in evening temperatures proved to be a big help. Fabulous.
Antonio Galloni, May 2026