2009 Tenuta San Guido, Sassicaia, Bolgheri Rosso DOCG, Tuscany, Italy.
One of the world’s great wines, Sassicaia is almost a no brainer, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t exciting to try it, in fact it always is a thrill to taste Sassicaia and I was especially jazzed by this 2009 vintage as it shows a lighter step and more elegance in it’s youth than any other Sassicaia I’ve sampled. This vintage shows almost a Haut-Brion or Chateau Margaux class with amazing length and delicate detail, which I might put down to the blend of this year’s wine being about 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, even though that is a guess as Sassicaia’s cuvee is somewhat secret. The addition of Franc gives this wine a touch more open fruit, perfume and a hint of spice, while the Cabernet Sauvignon is the force and depth behind this magical wine. The bouquet is of acacia flowers, blueberry, smoke and hints at cassis and graphite leading to a medium to full palate of blackberry, cherry, plum and currant fruits with licorice, pencil lead, mineral tones and kirsch all floating in the background. The texture is fantastic and mouth-filling, without heaviness or flab, making for a sublime wine of life and balance. Look for this wine to fill out a bit more in bottle and drink well for the next decade. While not a powerhouse or a blockbuster flashy wine, this vintage Sassicaia is pure class and style, and for me, nearly perfect.
($200 Est.) 96 Points, grapelive
