2014 Sassicaia Tenuta San Guido 300 cl.

Relatively pale and limpid, this has a hauntingly beautiful aromatic quality of lilies, violet, cassis and cherry, which in sum is utterly beguiling. In the mouth it is demure and delicious with bright succulent acidity and an almost Burgundian sweetness and structure, replete with filigree tannins. Here the fruit is youthful raspberries and red berries with a hint of savoury graphite and violet. In comparison to other, more broad shouldered, Sassicaia vintages such as the 2012, this is altogether more delicate and lacy, yet still retains great length and precision. This is not a Sassicaia for the ultra long haul and is so precociously good and drinkable now that it will take some resistance not to pull the cork sooner rather than later. That said, it would easily repay another decade in bottle.

This is my official review of the 2014 Bolgheri Sassicaia after having been graciously invited to the estate for various barrel samples spanning back several years. I have watched the evolution of this wine with a close eye and am impressed by how its real quality is diametrically opposed to the poor expectations of this difficult vintage. The nose is redolent of bright fruit and blackberry. Spice, tar and leather appear subtly at the back. The wine took on considerable weight each year I came back to taste it and this vintage was bottled earlier than average, precisely to give it more time to unwind and relax in the small confines of the bottle. This is a solid effort for sure and the wine is a stunning example of what it takes to make great wine, even when weather conditions are not in your favor.

Kirsebær, ristet kaffe, peber, urter, skovbund og grafit. Elegant vin med mange lag og en herlig tørhed. Ift andre årgange er denne vin mere drevet af grafit og herbale noter.