The Italian wine I get asked about the most as a wine critic is Sassicaia, the famous cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc blend of Tuscany’s coastal area of Bolgheri from the property of Tenuta San Guido. Sassicaia seems to have the best brand recognition of any other top Italian wine.
Earlier this week in New York City I organized a private client wine tasting at the Lalique boutique on 5th Avenue and one of the handful of participants said the following: “I am a California cabernet guy but I love Sassicaia. I buy the wine every vintage.”
I certainly recommended that he buy the 2011 Sassicaia.
He, like so many others, is wondering how good the 2011 Sassicaia is. I can assure you that it’s excellent. It may not be the legendary 1985, 1988 or even the 1997 or 1998. But it’s clearly outstanding. It reminds me of some of the underrated vintages of the 1980s such as 1982 or 1987.
The 2011 vintage in Tuscany was a hot one for grape growing. A number of heat spikes occurred during the summer. But the vineyards of Sassicaia were able to remain fresh and relatively unaffected. I remember tasting the wine a number of times from barrel before bottling and I remember the wine showing a very hot fruit and slightly tangy character. But this is all gone following the barrel aging for about 24 months.
If you would like to learn more about the Sassicaia vineyards, check out this free video from a few years ago.
I tasted the Sassicaia 2011 in Rome a few weeks ago and I found the quality outstanding. It’s a beautiful wine with wonderful aromas that are reminiscent of the coastal area where the grapes are grown. It’s full-bodied, with firm tannins and a structured backbone.
Below is my tasting note for the 2011 Sassicaia along with the last four other vintages. I have also included tasting notes for Tenuta San Guido Toscana Guidalberto 2012 and the Tenuta San Guido Toscana Le Difese 2012. The latter is the second wine of Sassicaia and the former a sister wine made from different vineyards.
Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri-Sassicaia 2011
Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri-Sassicaia 2010
Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri-Sassicaia 2009
Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri-Sassicaia 2007
Tenuta San Guido Toscana Guidalberto 2012
Tenuta San Guido Toscana Le Difese 2012
