2023 Sassicaia

Full bottle 1,379 g. 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Cabernet Franc at 100–400 m, produced after a season of marked downy mildew. Strict selection. Harvest ran from early September to early October. Aged for 24 months in barrique (40% new, 40% first fill, 20% second fill) . pH 3.45, TA 6.2 g/l. To be released internationally in June 2026. Only mid depth of garnet with quite a pale rim. Heady nose and unmistakably Tuscan – nothing like a red bordeaux! Much more elegant and sappy. Relatively light-bodied with fine, sculpted tannins. Bone-dry, long, satisfying finish. I can’t imagine the Ornellaia 2023, a sample of which is apparently on its way to me, tasting anything like this! Surely much richer. This is definitely for classicists! (JR)

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.

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. The blend includes 13% to 14% Cabernet Franc alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, with the Franc playing a decisive phenolic role that reinforces elegance, linearity and brightness. Aromas unfold with wild sage, rosemary and dark fruit before moving into crushed stone minerality, rose petal and a finely spiced spectrum of pink peppercorn, nutmeg, anise, cardamom, bergamot and blood orange, joined by a delicate note of mentuccia romana, sweeter and gentler than classic mint. The palate shows beautiful softness framed by chalky tannins and mineral tension. Its acidity shines bright and guarantees long cellar aging potential. The wine remains fluid and flexible in the glass as different facets of the bouquet emerge. Like the legendary 1985, 2023 was a difficult and stressful vintage shaped by a cold winter, yet it stands as proof that great pressure can indeed give birth to diamonds.