2016 Sassicaia San Guido

Sassicaia is one of the most popular wines in the world.

According to Wine-Searcher.com search frequency data, Sassicaia is the world’s sixth most popular wine. The top 10 include many of the French producers that first inspired della Rocchetta, including Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Mouton Rothschild. It is the only Italian wine to hold a spot in the top 25.

One of Italy's most iconic bottlings, the 2015 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.

Sassicaia lovers are going to find the 2015 a wonderful surprise for the famous super Tuscan red of Itlay. The 2015 is a classic styled Sassicaia with wonderful freshness, firmness and finesse. I loved the floral and currant aromas as well as the dense and compacted palate of dark fruits and fine tannins. It shows a beautiful suppleness that reminds me of the excellent 1997, 2001 or 2004. And it develops wonderfully growing in texture and in flavor with every minute in the glass. It is the best Sassicaia since 2009.

I tasted the 2015 blind today against the 2011 Sassicaia and had to give the edge to the 2015. I thought the richness and ripe round tannic texture of the 2011 was clearly outstanding quality as was the ripe fruits and nectarine undertones as well as the velvety, slightly chewy tannins. But the 2015 simply shows more freshness and class in the glass than the 2011. And it has as a more precise mouthfeel and complexity.

A lot of this was due to the cooler nights of the grape growing season that summer in Tuscany in 2015 that gave a small edge to cabernet sauvignon grown at Tenuta San Guido, the wine estate on Tuscany’s coast where Sassicaia is made. The 2015 is about 85% cabernet sauvignon and 15% cabernet franc. But may be it’s just down to style and I like the gentler, finer impression that the 2015 Sassicaia gives.

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