This archival video was shot in 2010 but I just edited it today. James visited the iconic Tenuta San Guido in Bolgheri. Sassicaia, one of Italy's most celebrated wines, was first produced commercially in 1968 and it was throughout the 1970's in a number of international tastings when the wine gained the status that it enjoys today. Although there are considerable similarities between certain Bordeaux areas and Bolgheri-Sassicaia, namely its gravelly soil and it's proximity to the sea, the wine is after all, a thing in itself with its own articulate expression of the terroir reflected in the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc varietals.
In this video James, along with owner Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta, tastes bottled samples of the 2006 and 2007 vintages as well as the 2008 vintage of Guidalberto, another wine made by the Sassicaia team in Bolgheri. Sassicaia is made up of a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. While the Guidalberto is an assemblage of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot.
James also tasted barrel samples of the Sassicaia 2008 and 2009 vintages. If you enjoy Sassicaia, James recently wrote a blog on the 2008 and 2009 vintages that you should definetly read as a follow up to this video. Also, check out the two other videos on Sassicaia already on the site: one on the 2008 and 2009 vintages from bottle and the other on the vineyard. Enjoy!
Here are the notes of the wines:
Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri-Sassicia 2007
Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri-Sassicaia 2006
Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto 2008