TENUTA SAN GUIDO 'Sassicaia' - Bolgheri, Tuscany 2020 DOUBLE MAGNUM (300cl) in Wooden Case

Description

The 2020 Sassicaia is an extraordinary Bordeaux-style masterpiece, showcasing an elegant balance of ripe blackcurrant, dark cherry, and plum. Decanter awarded it 97 points, praising its poised character, blackcurrant notes, and fresh acidity, highlighting its superb quality despite reduced production. James Suckling also rated it 97 points, noting its perfumed nose with forest floor, citrus, and dark fruits, alongside a structured and complete palate. Vinous scored it 97 points too, describing it as bold and rapturous, with intense flavours of blackberry jam and licorice, emphasising its appealing textural intensity. This vintage exemplifies Sassicaia’s legendary finesse, power, and elegance.

*****

DECANTER 97 points
Drinking Window: 2024 - 2055
Frosts damaged the the earlier-developing Cabernet Franc in late March, leading to reduced production but superb quality fruit. Spring was mild and summer was generally warm, but a rapid acceleration of maturation in late summer forced the team to begin picking in the first week of September to avoid any overripeness. A traditional 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc blend, its blackcurranty, dusty, leafy and cedary character is brought into focus by an intense and balsamic palate. It's poised and light on its feet with super-fresh acidity and a fine-grained, almost imperceptible tannic structure. Ripe and tangy raspberry and blueberry fruits linger on the mid-palate, leading to a long, fresh finish with some cream and chocolate notes. This will reward cellaring into the 2050s, yet you'll get plenty of pleasure from it in its youth. 'We advise to keep it at least 10 months in the bottle before opening,' states third-generation Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta. - James Button

JAMES SUCKLING 97 points
A very perfumed Sassicaia on the nose with forest floor, citrus and deep dark fruits. Blackcurrants. Cedar and black tea. Some balsamic. Pine needles. Full and very succulent. Really long, structured and complete. Tangy and energetic with a linear line of fresh tannins and acidity. Very Sassicaia throughout. 85% cabernet sauvignon and the rest is cabernet franc. Very attractive now in a youthful and vibrant way, but this will be better in three to four years. Try after 2027.

VINOUS 97 points
Drinking Window 2028 - 2050
From: Exploring New Releases from Coastal Tuscany (Aug 2023)
The 2020 Sassicaia is a bold, rapturous wine. Dark, fleshy and expansive on the palate, the 2020 offers up scents of blackberry jam, gravel, spice, new leather, licorice and crème de cassis. Potent tannins are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. Sassicaia is never a huge wine, the 2020 does seem to have an extra dimension of textural intensity. It's an intensity that is hugely appealing.

Estate Manager Carlo Paoli describes 2020 as a year with a long, rainy winter and a cold spring. "Temperatures warmed up in the middle of June," he explained. "July was very hot, but heat moderated in August. Even so, it was a year in which ripeness moved quickly, as opposed to 2021 when ripeness was more gradual. We picked the entire estate in 22 days instead of the 29-30 that is more typical." The 2020 spent 15-18 days on the skins, followed by 25 months in French oak, 50% new. Production is down about 30% because of selection in the vineyard. - By Antonio Galloni on August 2023

THE WINE ADVOCATE 96 points
Drink Date: 2024 - 2042
The Tenuta San Guido 2020 Bolgheri Sassicaia speaks to those who seek a more voluptuous, opulent and, ultimately, more accessible wine. ..... This wine is beautiful and compelling straight out of the gate, showing a lovely mix of dark fruit, oak spice, balanced freshness, textural richness, soft tannins and an expertly contained 14% alcohol content. The wine's immediate character is what distinguishes this vintage, and I wouldn't get too fussed by exaggerated cellar-aging ambitions. The wine awards sheer pleasure in its current form, with dazzling primary fruit and soaring intensity over the near and medium term. - Monica Larner