TENUTA SAN GUIDO 'Sassicaia' - Bolgheri, Tuscany 2021 Bottle

Description

The 2021 Sassicaia is an extraordinary vintage that showcases the excellence of this iconic wine. The Wine Advocate awarded it 100 points, praising its impeccable balance and freshness, with flavours of red and purple berry fruits complemented by spice and floral notes. Vinous rated it 98+ points, describing it as one of the best young Sassicaias, with a rich and deep character that marries textural intensity with classicism. Wine Enthusiast also scored it 98 points, highlighting its luxurious aromas and vibrant palate, with silky tannins and an endless finish. This vintage exemplifies Sassicaia's legendary finesse and is poised for excellent aging potential.

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Sassicaia 2021
From one of the most iconic estates in Italy, Sassicaia 2021 has greater complexity and structure than the 2020 vintage. An elegant, tasty, and enveloping vintage that presents itself with beautiful freshness on the palate. In the mouth, the freshness of this wine plays an important role, with an acidity that is noticeable but not intrusive and gives it good drinkability and persistence, with a very long finish. The flavour culminates with a pleasant, unobtrusive saline note. The flavour, consistency, and freshness of this 2021 vintage make this Sassicaia 2021 in some ways very similar to the 2019 but also to the 2016 in terms of aromatic intensity. A wine destined to last a long time, if drunk before 4-5 years, adequate oxygenation in a decanter is advisable to best develop the typical aromas and scents of this vintage.

THE WINE ADVOCATE 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.” Monica Larner

VINOUS 98+ points
Drinking window: 2029 - 2051
The 2021 Sassicaia is one of the best young Sassicaias I can remember tasting, certainly on par with anything in recent memory. The preference here is picking on the earlier side relative to many neighboring properties, which is one of the reasons Sassicaia is always a wine of refinement more than opulence. At the same time, Sassicaia can be light. Not in 2021. All the elements came together during a long growing season to produce a rich, deep wine that marries textural intensity with classicism. Dark cherry/plum fruit, spice, new leather, menthol, licorice and spice all race across the palate. Time in the glass brings out the wine's textural intensity and sheer power. The 2021 is one of the most concentrated Sassicaias on record. That allowed for long macerations, as long as 20 days for some Cabernets. Aging was 25 months in French oak barrels (95% French, 5% a mix of Hungarian and Slavonian wood), 40% new, 40% once-used barrels and 20% in twice-used barrels. One of the recent developments here is some bâtonnage in aging, which is used to build texture. That approach worked well in 2021. In a word: magnificent.

WINE ENTHUSIAST 98 points
Comforting and luxurious, if restrained at first, on the nose, like hot coffee with a slice of warm berry tart, then suddenly more serious, with aromas of leather-bound books and crisp fall air. The palate is utterly laden with berries but also vibrating with acid, and tannins feel like a silk textile, strong and supple, tightly stitched and flowing through an endless finish. — Danielle Callegari

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.

JANCIS ROBINSON 18+ points
Mid to dark crimson but no attempt to break any records for colour intensity. Much subtler nose than most – no obvious sweetness and certainly no oak. Savoury and saline and introvert. All tucked in for a long life. Bone-dry finish. So different from Ornellaia! Neat, confident and non showy. But so well balanced and appetising that I swallowed it! (JR)