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The 2006 Sassicaia may very well go down as one of the all-time great recent vintages for this Tuscan thoroughbred. The year started off very warm but by August evening temperatures had moderated, leaving the fruit with a stunning combination of ripeness, perfume, acidity and tannin. The wine is simply glorious, that’s all there is to it. Layers of dark fruit meld into smoke, leather, violets, menthol, earthiness and tar as this profound wine opens up in the glass. The creamy, silky finish lasts an eternity, as waves of fruit caress the tannins with breathtaking elegance. Everything is in the right place in this magical Sassicaia. This is one for the ages. In a word: Awesome.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThe Tenuta San Guido 2006 Bolgheri Sassicaia is a timeless classic. This might just be the vintage to photograph in an encyclopedia entry for Sassicaia. This is especially true at this exact moment in its long and promising drinking window. The wine shows less volume compared to some of the more opulent vintages, but it absolutely excels in terms of length and finish. It offers amazing drive and momentum that are fueled by the extremely fine nature of the wine’s texture and the seamless unity of its flavors. It treads in light and delicate footsteps that will carry it far into the future. As they say in Italian: "Piano piano si va lontano" (slowly slowly you go far).Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP(Tenuta San Guido, Sassicaia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bolgheri, Sassicaia, Tuscany, Italy, Red) The 2006 Sassicaia still has a dark garnet colour while nose has an impression of smoke and crushed dried flowers and some subtle, charred toast notes of oak. On the palate there is a lovely, soft, velvety texture together with dark, bramble fruit flavours. The fruit feels cooler in nature with leafy blackberry notes and again a thrilling spine of acidity. For Priscilla Incisa Della Rocchetta and the Tenuta San Guido team the 2006 was ’a rather fresher vintage … an elegant wine with good structure, the classic Sassicaia style with notes of juniper, myrtle, and Mediterranean forest, characteristic of this wine and the terroir where it is produced.’ (Drink between 2022-2033)Decanter | 96 DECSweet tobacco and berry with hints of currants. Full, soft and silky. Lots of fruit and a long finish. It’s subtle, dense and sophisticated. Please give this another five years to really show what it has.James Suckling | 95 JSDisplays sweet tobacco, plum and berry aromas, with a jammy undertone, turning to licorice on the palate. Full-bodied and balanced, with silky tannins, a lovely texture and plenty of fruit. Outstanding Sassicaia, with structure and finesse. 85 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 15 percent Cabernet Franc. Best after 2013. 20,000 cases made, 3,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThis landmark wine (85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc) shows herbal notes of chopped mint, wild berry, licorice, bramble and forest floor. Tasted young, Sassicaia never has the same impact it will 10 or 15 years from now when all those luscious aromas become more penetrating and warm. Built to age, the wine boasts drying tannins, good acidity and firm structure.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WENo written review provided | 92 W&S

The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is slow to open and I spent a good amount of extra time with this wine as a result. It was well worth the wait. The intensity inches up in baby steps. With time, the wine is splendent and focused with a very direct and impactful delivery of aromas. It also shows a specifically floral personality with dried rose petal or blue violet that I did not recognize in most of the other Brunellos from this classic vintage. There is power and determination behind those feminine aromas. The wine makes a lasting impression in the mouth, thanks to the textual tightness of its tannins and the refreshing crispness of the acidity. The Riserva sees fruit sourced from Il Greppo’s oldest vines (25-years-old and more) and the wine ages in traditional oak casks for three years. Some 13,600 bottles were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP

Luca Currado is on a roll. This is the third vintage (in as many years) that blows me off my feet. The 2010 Barolo Riserva Villero is a spectacular achievement and a wine that we all aspire to have in our cellars. There is a level of truism here—an authentic portrait of the Nebbiolo grape—that is outstanding. The fruit from Villero saw 45 days of skin maceration and few rackings. The wines of Vietti are always made in reduction to guarantee their long aging future. The bouquet offers many fleeting aromas that add to its enormous complexity. You get wild berry, licorice, anise seed and a touch of iron rust. On average, this very special wine is only released every four years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 99 RPThis Barolo is built on an expansive scale and it has a stunning concentration that literally takes your breath away. Although it’s already seven years old, the beautifully crafted tannins and acidity make this very lively at the super long finish. Drink or hold. This has several decades of life ahead of it.James Suckling | 98 JSVirile and imposing in the glass, the 2010 Barolo Riserva Villero packs a serious punch. Swaths of tannin wrap around a huge core of fruit in a dark, virile Barolo that shows the more brooding side of the vintage. Sage, tobacco, menthol, violet and smoke add nuance throughout. Readers will have to be patient, as the tannins are likely to remain formidable for many years to come. As outstanding as the Villero is, it is never the most compelling Barolo in the Vietti range. Frankly, the pricing for the Riserva is more the result of managed scarcity rather than purely of the quality of what is in the bottle.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGA harmonious red, this features expressive aromas of rose, cherry, licorice, tar and tobacco. The dense, refined tannins are beginning to mellow, and this is starting to reveal its potential. Still has a ways to go, so forget about it for another two to three years. Best from 2021 through 2043. 300 cases made, 58 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS