“Sassicaia” Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC 2018 · MAGNUM in OWC

Tenuta San Guido | Tuscany
Soc. Agr. C.I.T.A.I. S.p.A. | Loc. Le Capanne 27 | IT 57022 Bolgheri

09422218 · 1,5 l · 632,67 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping6 units available
Limitation of 1 articles per customer

The 50th harvest year of Sassicaia. It snowed in Bolgheri in February 2018. The last time this happened was in 1985 – the year that is considered the greatest Sassicaia in history. The Siberian "Burian" winter storm brought temperatures below zero for days, killed the pests on the vines and replenished the soil water reserves. A promising start. What followed was a cool, slow wine year: moderate spring, temperate summer, refreshing nights well into September. Tenuta San Guido began the harvest seven to eight days later than usual – and selected more rigorously than in most years: The vineyards in the lowlands were not included. The higher vineyards, Castiglioncello and Quercione, characterised the character.

Lighter ruby red colour than in the warmer vintages. On the nose, cedar wood, wild berry pulp, menthol, pipe tobacco, blue flowers – with a finesse that epitomises the entire style of the estate. Taut, linear on the palate, with polished tannins and a freshness that knows no heaviness. A classic in its purest form – and in the magnum bottle a promise of decades to come. SUPERIORE.DE

"The legend from Bolgheri in its 50th anniversary year: Intriguingly elegant nose on red fruits and balsamic notes; powerful attack, perfectly balanced, extremely harmonious final on notes of undergrowth, spices, lots of fruit. An excellent accompaniment to food, but also a pleasure on its own!" Vinum

"Rich ruby red with a dark centre and a delicate watery rim. Wonderfully subtle, deep Cabernet-dominated bouquet with earthy and spicy mineral terroir notes, plus a noble cassis and liquorice note. Reminiscent of a noble Pauillac. Fine and distinguished, almost with cool noblesse. Clearly, still far too young, but already very recognisable in the beginnings. In the mouth, clearly focussing on the earthy spice, very aristocratic and well-defined down to the last pore, which underlines its elegant crescendo in the dance-like final." Weinwisser

"Brilliant, rich ruby-purple colour. Very crisp and clear fruit on the nose, precise, lots of cassis, blackberry and some leather. Lots of juicy fruit on the palate too, amazing freshness, dark redcurrant, shows great tension, grippy tannins, fine mint on the final, a long-liver with potential for many years." Falstaff

"Medium ruby red colour. Initially quite fragrant, then strangely somewhat closed in the glass. Subtle tones of cedar, vanilla and dried tobacco, with precision of fresh blackcurrant and a hint of black cherry. There is also an underlying graphite and stone/mineral complexity. The palate is juicy, with good acidity and a comparatively moderate tannin content that gives the wine a harmonious structure. The tannins are fine-grained, without the somewhat pinched texture I saw in the 2017 vintage, but they will still benefit from a little cellaring to develop into a silky finesse. There is a hint of wateriness after about three quarters, but then the delicate flavours continue through to a very long finish. This is certainly a more elegant and subtle Sassicaia compared to the more powerful 2017 version. It would be interesting to evaluate these two wines side by side in a few years." Jancis Robinson

"This refined and complex red wine is characterised by finesse and restraint. It begins with flavours of flowers and blackcurrants that develop steadily on the palate, with notes of olives, cedar, tobacco and spices that add further detail on the terrificfinish. Needs five to seven years to fully develop." Wine Spectator

"This wine, with its bright raspberry colour, has elegance and a certain verve right from the start - a wonderfully balanced, fine and classic Sassicaia. The freshly cut and dried herbs of great Italian wines reveal themselves through the slow build on the palate, along with gentle tobacco and liquorice notes. It is juicy and elegant, showing passion fruit and raspberry with an undertone of complexity. A wine to savour." Decanter

"Beautiful, cheerful flavours of sweet berries and wild flowers with light lavender and fresh sage. Really aromatic. A firm, silky red wine with medium to full body and ultra-fine tannins that are polished and beautiful. Lots of blue fruits and blackberries follow through on a lovely finish. Very dense and polished. Bright acidity. It will be wonderful to drink in a few years. The 2017 and 2016 were all about power, but the 2018 is all about finesse and subtlety." James Suckling

"The 2018 Sassicaia is fabulous. Bright and beautifully balanced, the 2018 opens with brilliant flavours that leave a strong first impression. Delicate and light-footed, the 2018 is a regal wine that will need a few more years to develop. Sassicaia is the finest of Bolgheri's top wines. This is also the case with the 2018. I loved it." Vinous

"This is a classic vintage from an Italian icon now celebrating its 50th vintage. The Tenuta San Guido 2018 Bolgheri Sassicaia is a familiar blueprint based on the proven track record of this important winery that stretches into the hills beyond the Tyrrhenian coast of Tuscany. This vintage is crystal clear and pure in its delivery, and if you are familiar with previous editions, it is impossible to confuse this wine with anything other than Sassicaia. On the palate, the wine is clear and bright, the finish is polished and long, and the wine skips any heaviness in the mid-palate. The bouquet is particularly intriguing with a very lively plummy fruit element enhanced by baker's chocolate, pepper spice, iron ore, caramel and pie crust. A green character with aniseed, tea leaves, soya, menthol and black olive also positively enriches the bouquet. The fruit ripeness is just right, without any overripe or underripe elements. Overall, the Sassicaia 2018 has a slender body and a long finish. It is also characterised by its archetypal elegance and the pedigree of the classic vintages of the past. This new release is one to look forward to." Wine Advocate

"This iconic Tuscan red wine has beguiling aromas of cedar, wild red berries, menthol and pipe tobacco mingling with fragrant blue flowers, and is characterised by charisma and finesse. Made from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, the focused, elegantly structured palate is vibrant and savoury, with cassis, orange peel, liquorice and a hint of coffee, framed by taut, polished tannins. The bright acidity keeps it energised and balanced." Wine Enthusiast