98-99 Point Wines

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One of Italy’s most iconic bottlings, the 2012 Sassicaia is drop-dead gorgeous. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, it boasts sensations of blue flowers, cedar, juicy red currants, ripe raspberries, white pepper and a balsamic note. Structured, radiant and loaded with finesse, it delivers everything you’d expect from a world-class wine and more. Drink 2018–2032.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WELots of lavender, minerals and black currants on the nose. Turns to blackberries. Full body, ultra-refined tannins and an exquisite finish. This is all about delicacy, finesse and grace. Yet there is a solid core of ripe tannins giving it backbone and outstanding form. Just opening now. Very pretty.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2012 Sassicaia is dark and immediate, with gorgeous up-front richness, density and power. Black cherry jam, cloves and new leather are some of the many signatures that take shape in the glass. The 2012 is an unusually deep, concentrated Sassicaia that is going to need time in bottle to develop the full breadth of its aromas and flavors. Today, it is a bit monolithic, so readers need to be patient.Vinous Media | 94+ VMThe summer of 2012 in Bolgheri was long and hot, but the cooler evening temperature allowed Sassicaia to pull in a wine that shows plenty of ripeness while retaining vibrancy and freshness. A blend of cabernet sauvignon with 15 percent cabernet franc, it shows a quiet confidence in the way it melds flavors of black currant and red raspberry with fresh thyme, toasted nuts and the black spice it picked up from two years in French oak barrels. The texture is velvety, balanced by a streak of graphite and finely etched tannins robust enough to take on a seared steak.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 94 W&SA rich and intense style, this exhibits flavors of vanilla, toast and black cherry wrapped in stern tannins. A bit gruff overall, showing just a hint of the elegance and finesse on the lengthy finish. Needs some time. Best from 2019 through 2032. 17,000 cases made, 4,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSFrom an early-ripening vintage, the 2012 Bolgheri Sassicaia shows bold lines and thick color concentration. It does exhibit a classic Sassicaia bouquet, but it does so minus that delicate floral embroidery that comes forth with such delight in 2013. This wine shows a harder, more determined edge. It is less remarkable overall, considering the amazing heights achieved in other vintages. It also reveals thin to medium texture. This Sassicaia roars in terms of bouquet, but offers more of a whimper in terms of mouthfeel. All the elements are there, but they are delivered in a more undertone and one-dimensional manner. It will probably flesh out further with more bottle age, but that leanness is just part of the 2012 vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPStructure and shoulders are a little more obvious here, the colour deepens and widens, and the power is evident right from the first nose. A powerful tannic structure holds the fruit, you can feel the grip and it is clear that even at this age it’s barely out of the starting block. It takes a few minutes to soften and open, then the liquorice, chocolate and balsamic notes come through, balancing out and deepening the tight spiced fruits.Decanter | 92 DEC

All about radiance and finesse, this iconic Tuscan red has beguiling aromas of cedar, wild red berry, menthol and pipe tobacco that mingle with fragrant blue flowers. Made with 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, the focused, elegantly structured palate is vibrant and savory, delivering cassis, orange zest, licorice and a hint of coffee framed in taut, polished tannins. Bright acidity keeps it energized and balanced. Drink through 2033. Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEThis is a classic vintage of an Italian icon now celebrating its 50th vintage. The Tenuta San Guido 2018 Bolgheri Sassicaia lays out a familiar blueprint that borrows from the proven track record of this landmark estate that extends into the hills just beyond the Tyrrhenian shores of Tuscany. This vintage is crystalline and pure in its delivery, and if you are familiar with previous editions, it is impossible to mistake this wine for anything but Sassicaia.The growing season started off cool and wet but turned to warm and dry conditions comfortably before the harvest. Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc in a supporting role deliver a graceful mid-weight texture that holds back style-wise in terms of phenolic density. The wine’s careful balance is achieved thanks to the nuanced character of the fruit, the present acidity, the well-managed structure and the contained alcohol. The palate is lifted and bright, the finish is polished and long, and the wine skips over any heaviness on the mid-palate. The bouquet is especially intriguing with a very lively plummy fruit element that is enhanced by baker’s chocolate, pepper spice, iron ore, caramel and pie crust. There is also a green character that adds positively to the bouquet with aniseed, tea leaf, soya, menthol rub and black olive. The fruit maturity is spot-on with no elements that feel over or underripe. Overall, the 2018 Sassicaia weighs in with a svelte frame and long persistence. Moreover, it is distinguished by the archetypal elegance and pedigree of the classic vintages of the past. This new release gives you much pleasure to await.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe 2018 Sassicaia is fabulous. Bright and beautifully poised, the 2018 opens with brilliant aromatics that make a strong first impression. Delicate and light on its feet, the 2018 is a regal wine that is going to need a number of years to come into its own. Sassicaia is the most finessed of Bolgheri’s top wines. That is very much the case in 2018 as well. I loved it.A cold winter led to a late spring and delayed start to the year. May and June saw some heat, but only moderate temperatures. Only July was truly warm, with minimal diurnal shifts. Cool winds arrived again in August, and temperatures dropped quickly, especially at night. Mid-August saw some rain. Harvest started on September 7 with the Franc and wrapped up on the 29th with the last of Cabernet Sauvignon. The year favored the estate’s oldest vineyards, those on hillside sites. The 2018 spent 19 months in oak, two-thirds new, a bit more new oak than the norm. The blend is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Franc, a bit less Franc than is often the case, as Franc suffered more under the conditions of the season.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGBeautiful, serene aromas of sweet berries and wild flowers with light lavender and fresh sage. Really aromatic. A firm, silky red with medium to full body and ultra fine tannins that are polished and beautiful. Lots of blue fruit and blackberries follow through to a beautiful finish. Really tight and polished. Bright acidity. Will be lovely to drink in a few years. The 2017 and 2016 were about power, but the 2018 is about finesse and subtlety. Try after 2024.James Suckling | 97 JSRefined and complex, this red is all about finesse and restraint, starting out with floral and black currant flavors that build steadily on the palate, with olive, cedar, tobacco and spice notes adding detail as this lingers on the terrific finish. Needs five to seven years to fully emerge. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2045. 25,000 cases made, 4,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSAt Sassicaia in 2018, the replenished water reserves in the soil, combined with a long and moderate growing season, gave a cool and classic wine. It emphasizes elegance over opulence, subtlety over power. The wine feels cool and lithe, with a midweight frame that gives full expression to high-toned flavors of plum and raspberry. Those red berry flavors gain brightness, depth and precision with time in the glass, maintaining superb balance through the long finish.Wine and Spirits | 96 W&SNotes of woodsmoke, blackcurrants and a hint of mint. Tobacco and cigar box add complexity. Dark, dense and concentrated. Nominated by Aldo Fiordelli. (Drink between 2022-2035)Decanter | 95 DEC