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This is a forgotten vintage of Sassicaia from the 1980s with all the hype about the legendary 1985 - a perfect wine. It shows incredible depth of fruit and mineral character. It’s full body and round textures with soft tannins. Drink now. Decant and serve.James Suckling | 95 JSA rich and voluptuous wine with a deep color. Intensely opulent black currant and mint bouquet; the palate is packed with fruit and velvety tannins. Will improve for years, but delicious now.--Super Tuscan blind retrospective. — JSAdd this wine to this Personal Wine ListAdd this wine to this Personal Wine ListDefault PWL (0) Learn more about Personal Wine ListsRelated Links Additional Tastings User NotesAdditional Tastings for TENUTA SAN GUIDO Vino da Tavola-Tuscany Sassicaia 1982Issue: Jul 31, 1996Score: 90Rather intense, in a fresh way, reflecting perhaps the relatively high acidity in this wine from the start. Of medium to full body, it bursts with cassis and black cherry flavors and a touch of Sassicaia’s characteristic mineral persona.--Sassicaia vertical. Drink now. –PMIssue: Jul 31, 1987Score: 84Richer on the nose than on the palate, with ripe concentrated berry and plum character that turns a bit lean and spicy on the palate. One of the most highly prized wines in Italy, but it seems to lack a bit on the follow through.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

I've been lucky enough to have the 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin numerous times recently and it has never failed to deliver everything I could want from a wine. Getting the best parcel of Grenache from the estate and a dramatically shifted blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre and the rest Syrah and Counoise, it's a massive and concentrated Chateauneuf that surprisingly still seems to show its Mourvedre component front and center. Blackberries, kirsch, truffle, gamy meats, licorice and earth all give way to a full-bodied, seamless, impeccably balanced wine that carries its huge core of fruit with remarkable freshness and grace. While it will no doubt continue to evolve gracefully, it's brilliant today.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe 1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin is fruit forward with rich, sweet blackberry and cassis notes paired with melted licorice, spice, roast meat and subtle truffle and earth aromas. The palate is full bodied, perfectly balanced and with some real density and depth. Almost chewable, this is silky smooth and doesn't show a hard edge anywhere. The blockbuster finish picks up ripe and sweet tannins.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDA wine made with a high quantity of Mourvèdre (60%), and produced only in the best years, in memory of François and Jean-Pierre's father. Superripe, with huge fruit, its' jammy, gamy and rich. Dusty tannins and excellent black-fruit flavors. The final effect is a wine that epitomizes the potential elegance and the power of Chateauneuf-du-Pape in one glass. A great wine with a distinguished future—at least 20 years.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEBright saturated ruby. Confectionery aromas of cherry liqueur and roasted meat. A wine of extraordinary density; incredibly thick but, in comparison to the basic '98 Beaucastel bottling, this has more shoulders. More black fruits than red. Finishes with great, lush tannins and explosive berry and cocoa powder flavors. Among the longest wines of my tour of the Rhone Valley. This is "only" 14.2% alcohol.Vinous Media | 97 VMStill a bit of a brute, as the Mourvèdre thoroughly dominates, with tar, pan-roasted liver, graphite and loam notes that hold sway over more typical Châteauneuf notes of currant, licorice, garrigue and mineral. This is very dense on the finish and still somewhat backward, so patience is required for this giant.--1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape retrospective. Best from 2010 through 2032. 415 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe only vintage of Hommage with more Grenache than Mourvèdre, as it was such a brilliant year for Grenache. This is explains its colour: much more pale than a classic Hommage at this stage of maturity. Very much ready now, the aromas come out like a cloud rather than a whisp. Has plenty of meat stock, horse chestnut shells, chestnut and plum scents, with a gentle spicing in the background. Very full-bodied, very generous and rounded. The alcohol is a little more evident than a classic Hommage, the fabric a little looser - it doesn't have the Mourvèdre tannic muscle. The finish is less long than a classic vintage, but more succulent. An atypical vintage for this cuvée, so perhaps should be described as a 'great Châteauneuf' rather than a 'great Hommage'. Either way, it's an exquisite wine. Drinking Window 2020 - 2030.Decanter | 96 DEC

This sports serious heft, with a core of brooding fig jam, ganache, Christmas pudding and pastis-soaked black currant notes, followed by a powerhouse finish of smoldering charcoal and tar. The feel is remarkably velvety and rounded overall, with a mouthwatering licorice root element adding to the already considerable length. Best from 2026 through 2056. 40 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 99 WSThough declared back in 2003, the 2001 Quinta do Noval Nacional was not officially released until 2016 because Christian Seely deemed it too backward and tannic in its youth. Matured in used wooden barrels for 20 months, it has a limpid purple hue with very slight bricking at the rim. The utterly captivating bouquet features multilayered black cherries, cassis, crushed violets and hints of iodine, all extremely delineated and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with a satin-like texture that renders this Nacional deceivingly approachable, and yet this is clearly a Vintage Port with decades still ahead of it. Amazingly well focused, this 2016 has a brightness and vivacity that probably manifested during the years it was kept back. Stunning. 250 cases produced. Tasted at the Vinous off-line dinner at La Trompette.Vinous Media | 98 VMNacional Vintage Port comes from a small parcel of ungrafted vines on a series of terraces at the Noval estate. It is a legendary wine, produced only occasionally. This wine is still impressively young and shows that it will age for decades. With its dark black fruits and succulent tannins, it is powerful and concentrated. Drink this wine from 2021 and for many years.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEI loved the 2001 Nacional, which is just singing right now. Possessing a huge nose of roasted herbs, black olives, licorice, coffee grinds, and sandalwood, it hits the palate with a full-bodied, concentrated, incredibly layered texture that stays lively, balanced and clean. This heady, ripe, sensationally complex Port should continue to stay on this plateau of maturity for another 2-3 decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2001 Vintage Port Nacional is a typical blend, mostly Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Cão, Sousão and Tinta Roriz. Aged for 20 months in old barrels in Douro, it comes in with 19.3% alcohol and 76.8 grams per liter of residual sugar. This is a late release, declared in 2003 but just now about to hit the market. Christian Seely said: "[T]he 2001 was extremely backward and quite closed up, dense and very tannic. Since we had just declared and released the 2000 Nacional, we decided to lay down the 250 cases of Nacional 2001 ..." The late release has certainly tamed this. It still feels very firm and has a real backbone, but it is not overly drying and it is a lot more approachable than newly-released Nacionals can be. By day three, though, it was showing a bit more pure power and complexity--and it seemed far better.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPTight and linear vintage Port with ripe berries, almonds, chocolate and hints of spices. Medium to full body, racy tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Very beautiful now.James Suckling | 93 JS

The 2009 Proprietary Blend Pluribus boasts stunning concentration, depth and power. Tar, incense, graphite, plums and grilled herbs all flow from this dark, sumptuous Cabernet Sauvignon. The balance of fruit, tannin and acidity is masterful. The Pluribus is always the most intense of the BOND wines. It can at times be a bit of a brute, but the 2009 is as refined as it gets. There is no shortage of class and integrity here. Hints of smoke, tar and juniper berries add the final layers of complexity. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039.I have been excited about the BOND 2009s since I first tasted them 18 months ago. My enthusiasm for those wines is surpassed only by the 2010s. The 2009s are sexy, radiant and impeccably polished, while the 2010s are more inward, structured and brooding in style. It is impossible not to compare BOND to Bill Harlan’s Harlan Estate. Although I am told the approach to farming and picking is identical in all the vineyards both estates look after, my sense is that the BOND wines are a little more vibrant than Harlan Estate, which tends to occupy a spot a little further out on the ripeness spectrum. It’s hard to know what more there is to say about BOND. These are simply some of the most utterly magnificent wines I have ever tasted, and a true testament that terroir not only exists in Napa Valley, but that these are some of the most privileged sites for making wine anywhere in the world. In my opinion, in top vintages, the St. Eden, which emerges from the red soils of Oakville, and the Vecina, from Vine Hill Ranch, are two of the greatest wines in Napa Valley.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPReaders searching for a Pluribus to drink now will find much to admire in the 2009. Beautifully resonant on the palate, the 2009 possesses striking depth and nuance. Time in the glass seems to bring out the wine’s natural richness and generous, inviting texture.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGAn amazing wine, complex and elegant, with a pure, rich, spicy mix of dark berry, plum and black cherry flavors. Supple and harmonious, elegant and persistent. Drink now through 2028. 420 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

Wonderful aromas of blueberries, blackberries, mushrooms, pine and blackcurrants. Some violets, too. Full-bodied, yet so refined and polished with wonderful fruit and a linear tannin structure that integrates beautifully into the wine. It’s so balanced and beautiful. Hard not to drink now, but better after 2023.James Suckling | 98 JSThe 2017 Proprietary Red brings everything up a solid notch. Dense purple/plum-hued, with gorgeous, Graves-like nose of blackcurrants, chocolate, scorched earth, tobacco leaf, and gravelly earth, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a polished, elegant texture, building yet sweet tannins, and a great finish. Very much in the style of the 2017 vintage with its nicely concentrated, elegant, reserved yet endearing style, it’s going to drink nicely for 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Proprietary Red sails out of the glass with open-knit, compelling scents of Black Forest cake, blackberry pie and black currant jelly with suggestions of Indian spices, garrigue, rose oil and sandalwood. The full-bodied palate is richly fruited and jam-packed with opulent black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, framed by a wicked backbone of freshness and plush, well-managed tannins, finishing with impressive length and perfume.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPThe 2017 Sloan is very nicely done. As is typical of the year, Sloan is on the lighter side in 2017, and yet all the elements are impeccably balanced. Black cherry, spice, licorice, lavender and chocolate open with a bit of time in the glass. Soft, succulent and quite gracious, the 2017 will drink well with minimal cellaring. I suspect it will always retain some of the nervous tension that is to be expected for a wine made from fruit picked a bit earlier than would have been optimal and with fewer barrel ferments, both choices imposed by the fires that year.Antonio Galloni | 94 AG

Marvelously complex, deeply fruited and massively concentrated yet wonderfully drinkable, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin challenges the number of superlatives that can be thrown at it. Scents of violets, tree bark, truffle, purple raspberries and blackberries all appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich, dense and velvety, and the finish shows enormous richness and length. Breathtaking stuff.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe tiny production 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin is the customary blend of roughly 60% Mourvèdre, 15% Grenache, and the rest Syrah and Cinsault that’s brought up in foudre. One sexy, powerful, full-bodied Southern Rhône, it sports a dense purple hue as well as a kaleidoscope-like array of blueberry, scorched earth, candied violets, pepper, and some almost northern Rhône-like meaty, smoky nuances. Full-bodied and incredibly pure, with a stacked mid-palate and ripe, supple tannins, it’s another vintage of this cuvée that will undoubtedly offer pleasure in it youth yet won’t hit prime time for a solid 7-8 years, and it should see its 30th birthday in fine form.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDGlass-staining ruby. A deeply perfumed bouquet features black raspberry, cherry liqueur, boysenberry, exotic spice and floral scents that show outstanding definition and smoky mineral lift. Sweet and penetrating in the mouth, offering wonderfully concentrated black and blue fruit preserve, violet pastille, spicecake and savory herb flavors that possess unlikely vivacity for their depth. The strikingly long, floral- and spice-driven finish is shaped by steadily building tannins that play nicely with the wine’s intense fruit.Vinous Media | 98 VMThis is really packed, with a stunning core of pure violet, raspberry and plum pâte de fruit flavors that glide through seductively, belying the power that’s in reserve, thanks to a well of singed alder and mesquite, worn leather and warm stone notes. The finish cuts a broad and deep swath, with the fruit showing serious staying power and superior definition. Mourvèdre, Grenache, Counoise and Syrah. Best from 2025 through 2045. 400 cases made, 210 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WSSuch beautiful black cherries, fresh earth, sage, basil and flowers on the nose, following through to a medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and an attractive, lightly chewy finish. This is very long and fresh with balance and purity. Give it five or six years to come around and show itself.James Suckling | 96 JSGorgeous perfume just jumps out the glass here, strongly scented and inviting. This is succulent and sweet, with an almost cherry kirsch, alcohol kick to this but in an excellent way. Mouthwatering and brimming with energy, there’s depth, spicy edges and a silky smooth mid palate. It’s seductive and heady while also complex, nuanced and layered. A long life ahead. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2046Decanter | 96 DEC

The 2019 Proprietary Red is deep garnet-purple in color. After a swirl or two, notes of blueberry preserves, chocolate-covered cherries, and warm cassis burst from the glass, leading to suggestions of Chinese five spice, dusty soil, sandalwood, and unsmoked cigars. The decadently concentrated, full-bodied palate delivers layer upon layer of black fruits and earthy nuances, framed by super-firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with loads of mineral sparks. This is a beauty!The Wine Independent | 99 TWIA blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, the 2019 Proprietary Red is a monster of a wine that’s unquestionably up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Blackberries, truffle, earth, chocolate, iron, and even a hint of black olive defines the nose, and it’s full-bodied, deep, rich, and incredibly concentrated on the palate. It has lots of background oak but more than enough fruit, with a dense, layered mid-palate and velvety tannins. It’s one of those wines that brings an incredible amount of richness and depth yet somehow stays light on its feet and balanced. It needs to be forgotten for at least 2-4 years and should keep for over two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2019 Sloan is a silky, sensual beauty. Creamy and ample in the glass, with superb balance, the 2019 offers up an exotic mélange of dark fruit, spice, mocha, espresso and licorice. Cabernet inflections are quite present today. Then again, this plateau above Rutherford is one of the most special places in all of Napa Valley. The 2019 shuts down pretty quickly in the glass, which is probably a good sign for its prospects in the cellar. It’s another gorgeous wine from the team at Sloan headed by Winemaker Martha McClellan.Vinous Media | 97 VMSloan’s 2019 Proprietary Red is deep and rich, with scents of dark loam, woodsy notes, hints of cedar and vanilla, plus dark, plummy fruit. It’s full-bodied, concentrated, dense and decadently velvety but with a slight dried-fruit character. It’s awesome in that idiom but lacks the vibrancy and freshness of the valley’s absolute best wines. To this taster, it comes across as impressively complex, concentrated and long but also a bit heavy and warm on the finish. What foods would one pair this with?Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP