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‘A classical vintage that perfectly suits the Opus style. Gorgeous vivid plum colour, sculpted, balanced, with a ton of lift, waves of rose petals, iris and peony, soft grilled cumin, sage and white pepper spice. Love the hidden power here and the supple slightly chalky tannins that are structured in their architecture with a precision and carved quality. Precise, layered and stretched out, a brilliant Opus, concentrated and yet delicate. Feels pared back and captures the spirit of early Opus, when it moved forward the conversation of what Napa could be. Michael Silacci director, 100% new oak for ageing extremely well integrated even now.’Jane Ansen | 100 JAAn enticing aroma of violets, cherry blossoms, fresh blue and black fruit and great structure define this beautiful, age-worthy wine. Subtle layering of fruit and oak spices between firm, fine-grained and supportive tannins gives it a calm intensity. So elegant and polished. Hints of cinnamon and graphite accent blackcurrant and blueberry flavors that linger and grow in a long finish. Already attractive to drink, but best after 2029.James Suckling | 99 JSTasted out of bottle, the 2021 Opus One is based on 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and splashes of Merlot and Malbec. This rich, full-bodied, concentrated Opus exhibits a deep ruby/plum hue as well as textbook notes of cedar pencil, graphite, tobacco, and a Graves-like scorched earth character. In my view, this is one of the finest vintages of this cuvée produced, and while it’s accessible today, it has another 30+ years of prime drinking ahead of it.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2021 Opus One is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and half a percent each of Malbec and Merlot. It was aged up to 19 months in 100% new French oak. It’s a seamless wine with balletic elegance and grace. From a deep ruby-crimson colour comes heady red and violet floral notes, sandalwood, and rich brown spices nuanced by graphite and dried sagebrush. Medium to full-bodied with ultrafine-grained tannins, almost powdery, with gorgeous cranberry and raspberry fruits and a kind of juicy, woody, crushed pomegranate seed character. You really can’t believe how light and ephemeral this wine is.Decanter | 98 DECThe 2021 Opus One is composed of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and 0.5% each of Merlot and Malbec. It was bottled in July 2023. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes barreling out of the glass with gregarious notions of creme de cassis, wild blueberries, and redcurrant jelly followed by hints of cedar chest, sassafras, vanilla pod, and dark chocolate plus a waft of lilacs. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers shimmery red, black, and blue fruit layers with a firm texture of rounded tannins and impressive tension, finishing long and fragrant.The Wine Independent | 98 TWIThe 2021 Opus One is one of the most elegant, polished Opus Ones in recent memory. Pliant and supple, with super-refined tannins, the 2021 has a ton to offer. It boasts gorgeous textural depth and resonance, not to mention superb balance. Dark red/purplish fruit, flowers, spice and mint caress the palate, framed by silky, ripe tannins that are the hallmark of a superior vintage. I can’t wait to see how the 2021 develops. This is a stellar showing, certainly the best so far.Vinous Media | 97+ VMShows lovely range and good energy, with an old-school tilt to the savory, bay leaf and tobacco notes that lead the way for a core of gently mulled red currant and black cherry fruit. There’s a leathery strap of grip on the finish, plus a flicker of cedar. This is sneakily long and should age gracefully. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Drink now through 2042. 25,800 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2021 Ornellaia captures all the magic of this sensational vintage on the Tuscan Coast. Rich, ample and expansive, with tremendous polish, the 2021 is pure class. Dark-toned fruit, mocha, espresso, licorice, plum and dried herbs abound. The tannins are present but also beautifully integrated, as is the French oak. There was a time not too long ago when young wines here needed years in bottle to drink well. That’s not at all the case with the 2021. The blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot works so well. New oak was 70%.Vinous Media | 99 VMAromas of blackcurrants, iodine, crushed stone, hints of mint and sage. Blue fruits. Full-bodied with chewy tannins that open with air. It’s racy and very long. Very tannin driven and energetic with power and focus. Muscular and very toned. This is the best Ornellaia for the cellar in years. Try after 2030.James Suckling | 99 JSWhile the summer was hot and dry, with three months of drought, the vines’ roots were able to tap water reserves which had been topped up by rainfall the previous winter and spring. Despite the warm growing season, Ornellaia 2021 feels less dense and muscular than vintages of old, offering pretty floral and wild herb perfumes alongside ripe red and black fruit scents. It’s intense, fresh and vertical in character, with fine, ripe, round tannins that seem to be a trademark of the vintage – it’s a gorgeous, breezy iteration of the Bolgheri benchmark that is already drinking well. The blend is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon (up from 50% in 2020), 25% Merlot (down from 32%), 15% Cabernet Franc (up from 13%) and 7% Petit Verdot (up from 5%); a carefully considered response from the winemaking team to the increasingly warm summers in the region.Decanter | 97 DEC

Super-restrained nose here with candied lemon and lemon bush, tuberose, peach kernel and integrated toastiness. Full body with amazing weight and concentration, yet with vibrant, lemony flavor, zesty and integrated acidity and a warming but balanced finish. Drinkable now, but with aging potential of more than 10 years.James Suckling | 97 JSFor the first time, Ornellaia Bianco becomes a Bolgheri DOC wine in the 2021 vintage. It’s again 100% Sauvignon Blanc, vinfied in a mixture of 300L and 500L amphorae, barriques and tonneaux, with only 25% new wood. Perfumed, exotic, stony and honeyed, it’s nonetheless a vertical and focussed wine, its structure constraining rich aromas and flavours of mango, peach, white flowers, orange peel, papaya and passion fruit. It does feel like it’s being held back, with a touch of austerity and that stony, mineral authority that makes it a necessity to drink with food. ‘It has much more vibrancy than in the past...a better defined character than when the project began,’ notes Marco Balsimelli.Decanter | 96 DECPreviously a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier, the Ornellaia 2021 Ornellaia Bianco is now all Sauvignon Blanc. The estate recently planted Semillon, so it is possible that we will one day see that grape in the blend (especially because it is known to thrive in hot vintages). This wine plays its best cards in terms of texture. It sports broad shoulders and enough texture to support those many creamy citrus and delicately tropical flavors. A dusting of crushed stone adds elegance. The wine should show its best results in five to 10 years from now.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe 2021 Ornellaia Bianco is alluring. I sense a bit more textural richness vis-à-vis prior editions, a positive in my book. White pear, jasmine, sage, mint, white pepper, peach and apricot fill out the layers. Light tropical accents appear with some aeration, adding a tropical flair that is quite attractive. This is impeccably done.Vinous Media | 95 VMVerging on creamy in texture, this silky white features floral, peach, sage and mint flavors, with a flash of grapefruit pith. Complex, balanced and long, with a salty component on the persistent aftertaste. Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2030. 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

Including more Cabernet Sauvignon than Cabernet Franc (it swings back and forth), the 2021 Avoyelles Oakville reveals a dense purple hue as well as sensational aromatics of red, blue, and blue fruits, spring flowers, spicy oak, graphite, dark chocolate, and a beautiful earth, forest floor-like character. Full-bodied, concentrated, and ultra-pure, it’s borderline perfection and a heavenly bottle of wine that needs 3-5 years of bottle age and will blow you away over the following two decades. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, aged 22 months all in new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDThe 2021 Avoyelles is a bruiser, its mid-weight structure notwithstanding. Strong, savory and floral notes open first. There’s plenty of weight and intensity, but it appears gradually. All the elements are so well balanced in this young, potent Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc blend.Vinous Media | 97 VMI tasted a barrel sample of the 2021 Patria Avoyelles Red, with 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. It has a deep garnet-purple color and offers up vibrant notes of crushed black cherries, warm cassis, and Indian spices, with hints of charcoal, beef dripping, and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is laden with taut, muscular black fruits and firm, grainy tannins with seamless freshness, finishing long with a spicy lift.The Wine Independent | 95-97 TWI

An exquisite wine, relying primarily on Cabernet Sauvignon from a single estate. Aromas of lavender, dried herbs and grapefruit pith combine with flavors of firm fruits and cocoa on a structure of abundant, powder-fine tannin and a mouthwatering finish. This wine is refined, detailed and delicious, with as much elegance as energy. Best 2026–2040.Wine Enthusiast | 100 WESo much graphite and volcanic character on the nose with metal shavings and gunpowder. Black ink, iron and rust, too. Blackberry and blackcurrant undertones. Full-bodied but not overpowering, with chewy and juicy tannins that are long and very subtle. Superb finish. From biodynamic grapes with Demeter certification. 91% cabernet sauvignon, 4% cabernet franc, 3% carmenere, 1% merlot, and 1% petit verdot. Drinkable now, but better in 2027.James Suckling | 99 JSLastly, the 2021 Proprietary Red was just bottled in July of this year and checks in as 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Carmenere, and the rest Petit Verdot and Merlot, brought up in 64% new French oak. It offers pure blue fruits, spring flowers, violets, and spicy oak, with a beautiful chalky, mineral note that comes through more on the palate. It’s elegant, full-bodied, has ultra-fine tannins, good acidity, and terrific length. It’s another gorgeous wine that will evolve for 15+ years.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDA compact, coiled-up, polished red. Intensely aromatic and perfumed, it leads with a distinct burst of cast-iron minerality, dusty sage, red and blackberry fruits, and perfumed rose petals. Medium to full-bodied with a dense core of succulent boysenberry fruit, plums, and kirsch, all of which have tremendous staying power matched only by the wine’s burly, robust and muscular tannins, which offer a real contrast to the supreme elegance of this wine. More time in the bottle is needed to let these tannins soften. If you open it before 2025, let it breathe several hours ahead of time, perhaps even double-decant it. 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Carmenère, 1% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot aged 22 months in 65% new French oak and 3% terracotta amphora.Decanter | 98 DECMarked by scents of cherries and raspberries, with just the barest hints of cedar and mocha-tinged oak, Quintessa’s fruit-forward 2021 Proprietary Red Wine is wonderfully smooth and supple in the mouth. It’s medium to full-bodied, suave and silky, all class and elegance, without any sense of excessive bulk or rusticity. If one were to have a complaint about it (hardly likely), it’s that it comes across as almost too polished, too elegant, too easy to drink.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis sports a fresh-edged beam of mulberry, black currant and boysenberry fruit, while flashes of hibiscus and violet fill in throughout alongside singed apple wood and iron notes. Shows the vintage’s combo of dense fruit and racy-edged structure, with nice tension. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Best from 2025 through 2038. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2021 Red Wine is an attractive offering from Quintessa. Crushed red berry fruit, cedar, mocha, spice and tobacco open gracefully. All the elements are nicely balanced in this understated Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend.Vinous Media | 93 VM

Here it is: A quintessential Sassicaia that represents the excellence of the vintage and also respects the unique taste profile of this distinguished Tuscan blend of Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc. The Tenuta San Guido 2021 Bolgheri Sassicaia offers impeccable balance, excellent freshness and absolutely no signs of over-ripeness. The fruit balance is ideal with a hint of crunch and lasting tension from pulp and skins. The tannins are deftly managed with firm grip and enough velvetiness to add volume and length. There is no greenness on the bouquet that instead offers mulled herbs and spice, with cinnamon and clove, layered delicately between mostly red and some purple berry fruits. Redcurrant, blueberry, sweet pomegranate and Rainier cherry run strong in this vintage. A fragrant hint of heritage rose emerges with time. The oak tones are geared toward gingerbread, hazelnut, cigar, sandalwood and something like a grilled sweet red pepper. To the palate, it offers nice weight with no heavy glycerin, and a rinse of acidity that adds to the wine’s natural energy, brightness and viscosity. That marked freshness opens the wine up to long aging potential, but you still need to give it more time in bottle.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPAnother great vintage in Tuscany, following a run of exceptional years, and as you might exect from this estate, we are here right at the top of what the vintage has produced. Expect to find softly grilled and smoked campfire notes on the opening, unrolling over ripe brambled berries, overlaid with incense, tobacco, sweetened red pepper, orange zest, liqourice and lavender. Sassicaia is a wine with a slow, gentle reveal, with a slate texture that highlights the subtle minerality and drawn out finish. My tastebuds are totally fired up, mouth watering, this is an active experience, you are engaged and wanting to lean in what happens next. Such clever winemaking, reflecting an exceptional terroir. Jane Anson | 100 JAIn 2021, ‘we had a nicely paced harvest... surely a very fortunate vintage for us, for Bolgheri,’ said Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta at the launch in London of the 2021 vintage of Sassicaia. Welcome rain in mid-August came at just the right time to save the harvest, and production ended up being slightly higher than in 2020. Around eight to 10 separate vinifications were made, fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and spontaneous malo. The wines were racked to second- and third-use barriques in December 2021, then racked into a mixture of new and used barriques in March 2022. The last step was to make the final blend in stainless tanks, where the wine underwent micro-oxygenation before bottling and further maturation in bottle. Rich dark fruit and herb aromatics are pockmarked by blueberry and petrichor, leading into an intense and vertical palate that’s super-fresh with a delightful breezy, saline character. Textured, integrated tannins emphasise the refinement of Sassicaia, showing just a touch of youthful dustiness. Tangy, bright black, blue and red berry fruits overlay underlying hints of dark chocolate and forest undergrowth in a remarkably precise fashion, with pomegranate and a stony minerality surfacing on the mid-palate. 2021 demonstrates lovely sapidity of fruit along with that characteristic freshness and lightness of step, finishing long and poised. Superb. 99-100.Decanter | 99 DECThe gorgeous 2021 Sassicaia stuns with its class, extreme elegance, energy and depth. It’s remarkably fragrant, featuring enticing aromas of cassis, cedar blue flower, exotic spice and a whiff of sea breeze. The delicious palate is focused and loaded with finesse, delivering ripe raspberry, black currant, blood orange, star anise a hint of coffee bean accompanied by taut, fine-grained tannins. Bright acidity gives it racy tension and provides impeccable balance and serious aging potential. Drink 2029–2041. Abv: 14% Kerin O’Keefe | 99 KOThe 2021 Sassicaia is one of the best young Sassicaias I can remember tasting, certainly on par with anything in recent memory. The preference here is picking on the earlier side relative to many neighboring properties, which is one of the reasons Sassicaia is always a wine of refinement more than opulence. At the same time, Sassicaia can be light. Not in 2021. All the elements came together during a long growing season to produce a rich, deep wine that marries textural intensity with classicism. Dark cherry/plum fruit, spice, new leather, menthol, licorice and spice all race across the palate. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s textural intensity and sheer power. The 2021 is one of the most concentrated Sassicaias on record. That allowed for long macerations, as long as 20 days for some Cabernets. Aging was 25 months in French oak barrels (95% French, 5% a mix of Hungarian and Slavonian wood), 40% new, 40% once-used barrels and 20% in twice-used barrels. One of the recent developments here is some bâtonnage in aging, which is used to build texture. That approach worked well in 2021. In a word: magnificent.Vinous Media | 98+ VMVery classy and typical of Sassicaia with currant, tobacco, chocolate, sage and lavender on the nose and palate. Medium- to full-bodied with very integrated and refined tannins that are caressing and pretty with a lovely length and beauty. Such finesse and structure at the same time. Best in 2028 and beyond but already joy to taste.James Suckling | 98 JS

The 2021 The Flight is composed of 65% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 16% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it waltzes out with flamboyant notes of juicy black raspberries, ripe plums, and boysenberry preserves followed by hints of cinnamon toast, rosebud tea, garrigue, and iron ore. The full-bodied palate is densely laden with rich black fruit layers and red berry accents supported by super-ripe rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a persistent ferrous note.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIIn 2021, ’The Flight’ presents a vibrant, drop-dead gorgeous wine in the glass, teeming with energy. From a medium-dark ruby colour fanning out like a dark ruby-hued rose to the edges, the wine is immediately enticing from the pull of the cork with beautifully perfumed rose petal florals, spicy wild fennel and mint nuanced by a spray of orange citrus peel, cedarwood and lilacs. Medium-bodied with super crunchy red fruit and focused, granular tannins. There’s power and finesse driving saline-scented minerals and an incredibly long finish, which is further enhanced by more perfumed florals. It’s a seamless wine that still has a bit of youthful edginess, which, in time, will gloss over with polish.Decanter | 99 DECBlackberries and blueberries, together with hints of chocolate and violets. So perfumed. Some bark, too. Medium body with freshness and length. The tannins have a fine, velvety texture and wonderful length. Very structured. Lightly chewy. Lasts for minutes. 65% merlot, 16% cabernet franc and 19% cabernet sauvignon. Try after 2028.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2021 The Flight is built around a core of Merlot from old vines on cobbly soils at the front of the property. From barrel, the 2021 was quite sensual, perhaps deceptively so. This recent tasting of the finished wine from bottle reveals a powerful, dense Flight packed with dark-toned fruit, leather, tobacco and incense. In many vintages, The Flight is accessible young, but the 2021 is a wine for the cellar. It is one of the best and most complete editions I have tasted. There’s a fair amount of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend and quite a bit more Franc than usual, which contributes to the wine’s personality and overall feel.Vinous Media | 97 VMI was able to taste the primary components of the 2021 The Flight, all of which showed pure, vibrant profiles as well as sound underlying structure and acidity. It reminds me slightly of the 2019 and will be a beautiful, elegant, incredibly classic example of this cuvée.Jeb Dunnuck | 93-95 JD

Composed of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2021 La Joie sports a deep garnet-purple color. It comes galloping out of the glass with energetic notes of fresh red and black currants, mulberries and candied violets, giving way to evocative wafts of cardamom, clove oil, and iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate is built like a brick house, delivering taut, muscular black fruit and very firm, finely grained tannins, plus a finely knit line of freshness, finishing long and energetic. It’s tightly wound and will require patience to allow the tertiary characters to blossom. Forget it for 5-7 years in the cellar and drink it over the following 30 years+.The Wine Independent | 100 TWIAlso inky black, the 2021 La Joie is packed with loads of licorice, blackcurrant, menthol, and polished leather. Full-bodied and plush, with a rocky texture, massive structure, and tremendous power, it will be a wine to cellar while you’re drinking the 2022s.Jeb Dunnuck | 98-100 JDThe 2021 La Joie is composed of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, and the wine was matured for 16 months in 95% new French oak. It’s exceptionally pure and layered on the nose, its scents of blackcurrant and blueberry accented by tones of lavender and cardamom. The full-bodied palate is effortlessly seamless. It features Goldilocks ripeness, loads of powdery, suede-textured tannins and bursts of mouthwatering acidity. Though its flavors are youthfully coiled, it opens dramatically over several days, and it will be epically long lived in the cellar. 2,500 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RP

The 2021 Viñedo Chadwick fermented in stainless steel and troncoconic concrete vats, spent some 10 months in barrique, and then part of the wine (some 20%) was sent to the Stockinger foudres. The nose is reminiscent of a super elegant and sleek Bordeaux, pure and clean, less balsamic than in previous years and less herbal. It’s perfumed and floral, precise, fresh and elegant, with very fine tannins, and despite the grape, it is more Pomerol than Graves, with 14% alcohol on the label but without any heat at all. It’s velvety and luxurious, juicy and tasty, with fine-grained chalky tannins and the elegant stoniness that the best Maipos are capable of. It has structure and power, like the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. This has to be the finest vintage for Chadwick; the wine made my heart beat faster—it’s a wine of emotion. This is also my first 100-point wine from Chile! The final blend contains around 3% Petit Verdot from vines planted in 2005. There are some 10,000 bottles of this, and it was all bottled all at once on January 31, 2023.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPBeautiful nose with lots of currants, red cherries, flowers, roasted chili and dark chocolate. A fine hint of balsamic. More red fruit than black fruit here with bright cherries and a hint of cigar box. Really even on the palate, with a medium to full body and effortless tannins -- plentiful and silky. Extremely fine-grained and long. Very young but the superb freshness and the tannin quality of this vintage makes you think this is already drinkable. Better from 2025.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2021 Viñedo Chadwick is a Cabernet Sauvignon with a dash of Petit Verdot (3%) from Puente Alto, Maipo. It was aged for 22 months, 80% in new French oak barrels and 20% in foudres. The mild summer in the area helped to sculpt the vivid, nuanced aromatic profile: crystal clear blackcurrant notes with sour cherry and raspberry layers plus hints of pepper over a faint cigar box bed. Silky and dry in the mouth, the finely tuned Maipo tannins and refreshing acidity from the cool year make for a long-lasting, complex wine. A Bordeaux-inspired red that enjoyed the very Bordelaise weather in the region this year.Vinous Media | 98 VMThe moderately cool 2021 growing season gave a long, even ripening that preserved the acidity and gives this wine elegance and finesse. This smells wonderful, full of chocolate, salted caramel, vanilla, fragrant blackcurrants, roses and raspberries - simply gorgeous. Crunchy and chewy, the best combination of being fully flavoured and densely textured with high, mouthwatering acidity that lifts the mouthfeel and creates such a joyful expression. Direct and focussed, this doesn’t deviate too much from the centre of the palate, but it has energy and drive with a soft expansions of dried herbs, flowers and ripe berries. It’s more the texture and the finish that leaves such an impression - you just want another sip straight away, with cool refreshing mint, tobacco and liquorice spice adding the nuance on the persistent finish. Utterly sublime. Ageing 22 months, 80% in new French oak barrels, 20% in foudres.Decanter | 98 DECA rich, slightly muscular red, built around espresso, pepper and baking spice nuances, with concentrated blackberry and cassis flavors that benefit from fresh acidity. Echoes the flavors on the finish around notes of ganache and fine tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2033. 800 cases made, 100 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Very aromatic, with raspberry, orange peel and floral aromas. Nice transparency. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and a crisp, crunchy finish. Drinkable now, but better from 2026.James Suckling | 93 JSA fresh, expressive red, this also exhibits tension, lending energy to its black currant, cherry, licorice and cedar flavors. Graphite and salty accents add detail on the long, tightly wound finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2033. 15,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

Massetino is considered the second wine of Masseto, but I’m beginning to come to the conclusion that it’s far more than that. It represents around one-third of the production of Masseto, and judging by the quality of this 2022, next year’s release of the grand vin could be absolutely phenomenal. Massetino has always incorporated a portion Cabernet Franc since its first vintage, 2017 – 10% in 2022. A cool and dry spring led to a slightly late budbreak, followed by 75 days of drought and high temperatures. Summer storms eventually came along to restore balance, and the cool September evenings were perfect for the grapes reach full ripeness. Each parcel was vinified separately and spontaneously in concrete tanks before undergoing malolactic fermentation in barriques, 50% new. After 12 months, the final blend was made and the wine spent a further three months in concrete before bottling. Bright and stony, there’s so much energy here. Zingy and sapid, it combines fresh Mediterranean herbs and poised fruit, with more verticality than Masseto 2021 and just as much concentration. Incredible precision and beautiful freshness, especially considering the vintage.Decanter | 97 DECThis is refined and fresh with hints of sandalwood to the beautiful blue fruits. It’s medium-bodied with creamy and polished tannins that frame the blue fruit and hints of crushed stone. Succulent and juicy with a crunchy personality. You want a sip right away. Second wine of the highest quality from Masseto. So drinkable and wonderful. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThis is opulent, with a lush texture enveloping black cherry, blackberry and plum flavors. Flashes of tar, iron and wild herbs add detail as this red builds to the long finish. Balanced and fresh, with sweet, lingering oak spice notes. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2040. 160 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Plenty of red currant, cedar, iron and terra cotta aromas follow through to a medium to full body with graphite, sandalwood, red currants and fresh Mediterranean herbs such as thyme and rosemary. The tannins are chewy but polished in texture. This is a Sassicaia that needs three or four years of bottle age to come together and soften. A structured wine for the cellar. Try after 2029.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2022 Sassicaia is simply brilliant in this vintage, showing a remarkable level of poise and freshness. It opens with a captivating bouquet of ripe blackberries, plum, florals and subtle herbs, underscored by a touch of spice, tobacco and minerals. On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied and well-structured, with velvety tannins and a lively acidity that provides perfect balance. Rich flavors of red/dark fruits, tobacco and spices unfold beautifully, leading to a long, persistent finish that is both refined and elegant. A stunning example of Sassicaia’s pedigree and resilience to thrive year after year.International Wine Report | 98 IWRThe Tenuta San Guido 2022 Bolgheri Sassicaia reveals a beautiful fruit profile with fresh blackberry, tart cherry and Mediterranean tones of blue rosemary blooms and lavender sachet. I tasted this wine several times over the course of a few months, and it has already shown a happy evolution coming into slow focus like the faint colors that emerge from a Polaroid photograph. Indeed, the bouquet appeared more closed just a short while ago. The wine’s strongest suit is its elegantly streamlined mouthfeel and its contained 13.5% alcohol content. These qualities add to the silky cleanness of the mouthfeel and the accessible freshness of this vintage. I am confident that this bottle will improve with time. It requires patience.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97+ RPThe wine is tightly coiled and concentrated. It feels almost cinched at the waist, with a fascinating tension between the weight of raspberry, blackberry and strawberry coulis fruit and the wine’s verticality, as if it’s trying to burst out. Lovely mid-palate sapidity is allied to fresh acidity and fine but dense tannins, making for a dark horse of a Sassicaia that isn’t giving much away today but will greatly reward those who can cellar it for 12 years and more. ‘What is sure is that 2022 will need a lot of time, but will also have a long life,’ said Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta. A hot vintage, 2022 caused the team to work in the newly completed refrigerated warehouses in San Guido, even moving the sorting table inside. Shorter macerations and 23 rather than the more typical 24 or 25 months of ageing in wood helped to maximise the freshness.Decanter Magazine | 97 DECOpening with aromas of menthol, dark spice, blue flower and dark-skinned berry, the 2022 Sassicaia is impressive and defied my expectations. Hailing from what was a notoriously hot, dry year, the estate’s location, including its hillside vineyards, vicinity to the woods plus much-needed rain in August preserved freshness and aromas as did harvesting somewhat earlier than usual, shorter skin maceration and slightly less time in oak. Showing elegant restraint, it’s balanced and tense, delivering flavors of ripe blackberry, wild cherry, licorice and mint. It’s still quite tight and youthfully austere, with a backbone of firm, refined tannins and fresh acidity. Give it time to fully unwind. Drink 2030–2042. Abv: 13.5% Kerin O’Keefe | 97 KOThe 2022 Sassicaia is a very pretty, expressive wine. There’s a bit more Cabernet Sauvignon (and less Franc) in this year’s blend, and that really comes through in the wine’s flavor profile and slightly bruising tannins. Dark cherry, plum, leather, licorice, graphite and incense give the 2022 striking aromatic presence to match its rather brooding personality. There’s a bit of tension in the tannins that needs time to resolve. Yields were down about 20% because of intensely cold weather in spring, variable conditions during flowering and set, and then searing heat and drought throughout the summer.Vinous Media | 94+ VM