Tenuta San Guido - Sassicaia 2023

Sassicaia needs no introduction in the world of Super Tuscans and Cabernet Sauvignon based wines. The 1968 vintage saw the debut of Sassicaia, a courageous wine that at the time, broke away from the standard way of making Tuscan Wine. The wine is named after the stony soil which it comes from, and, by its nature, is destined to go far.

Tenuta San Guido, the birthplace of Sassicaia, the original Super Tuscan, crafts wines from vineyards rooted in Bolgheri's gravelly soils, where southwest-facing slopes and maritime breezes foster ideal ripening conditions. In 2022, despite a hot and dry summer, they produced a Sassicaia marked by elegance and purity, a testament to their meticulous hand-harvesting, natural yeast fermentation, and aging in French oak. This vintage is a departure from sheer power, emphasizing freshness and longevity. It opens with an expressive nose of ripe red fruits—plum, cherry, and blackberry—intertwined with nuanced notes of menthol, dark spice, and blue florals. The palate, elegantly streamlined, delivers a harmonious blend of ripe blackberry, wild cherry, licorice, and mint, supported by a backbone of refined tannins and vibrant acidity, promising exceptional aging potential for decades to come.

"Very few vintages of this legendary Tuscan wine deliver the immediate joy, richness and complexity found in the Tenuta San Guido 2023 Bolgheri Sassicaia. Tasted both before and after its January 2026 bottling, this is a wine that feels uncannily open and generous in its youth, a rare trait for Sassicaia, which is famously inscrutable at this stage. The 2023 vintage was marked by a cold winter and above-average rainfall followed by a severe outbreak of downy mildew that damaged leaves, forcing brutal fruit selection and resulting in a 20% reduction in yields. Only the estates willing to make these sacrifices succeeded, and the best wines rank among the most compelling and elusive of recent years." - 100 Points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"Very cool, complex and pretty aromas of black currants, fresh herbs such as sage and rosemary, with lavender and violet undertones. Medium- to full-bodied with crunchy and layered fruit delivering currant, plum, spice, cedar and bark flavors as well as polished and velvety tannins. A very clear and distinctive Sassicaia with true character of the estate. Drink in two or three years and beyond." - 99 Points, James Suckling

"Sassicaia 2023 will divide drinkers. While its quality is without question, it takes the idea of finesse and elegance to another level. In truth, this is more a reflection of the vintage conditions than a winemaking decision – but that's what all great wineries aim to show in the glass, isn't it? For some, this will be too light, too floral, and too far removed from ‘classic’ Bolgheri. For others, especially those who have been following this estate for several years, it's a dream come true; a true-to-life model for the future of Italian reds. Me? I'm on the fence. It almost pales in comparison to the depth of fruit and chewy tannins of 2022, while the 2019 tasted alongside emphasises juiciness and silkiness. Supple, lifted and fragrant, 2023's pure, crunchy bramble fruits, succulent, sapid mid-palate and prolonged freshness make you think differently...in a very good way. 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Cabernet Franc." - 98 Points, Decanter

Producer: Tenuta San Guido

Country: Italy

Region: Tuscany

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc

Appellation: Bolgheri

Vintage: 2023

Size: 750ml