Drink now or cellar for up to 30 years. No need to decant before serving.
Very few vintages of this legendary Tuscan wine deliver the immediate joy, richness and complexity found in the Tenuta San Guido 2023 Bolgheri Sassicaia. Tasted both before and after its January 2026 bottling, this is a wine that feels uncannily open and generous in its youth, a rare trait for Sassicaia, which is famously inscrutable at this stage. The 2023 vintage was marked by a cold winter and above-average rainfall followed by a severe outbreak of downy mildew that damaged leaves, forcing brutal fruit selection and resulting in a 20% reduction in yields. Only the estates willing to make these sacrifices succeeded, and the best wines rank among the most compelling and elusive of recent years.
The blend includes 13% to 14% Cabernet Franc alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, with the Franc playing a decisive phenolic role that reinforces elegance, linearity and brightness. Aromas unfold with wild sage, rosemary and dark fruit before moving into crushed stone minerality, rose petal and a finely spiced spectrum of pink peppercorn, nutmeg, anise, cardamom, bergamot and blood orange, joined by a delicate note of mentuccia romana, sweeter and gentler than classic mint. The palate shows beautiful softness framed by chalky tannins and mineral tension. Its acidity shines bright and guarantees long cellar aging potential. The wine remains fluid and flexible in the glass as different facets of the bouquet emerge. Like the legendary 1985, 2023 was a difficult and stressful vintage shaped by a cold winter, yet it stands as proof that great pressure can indeed give birth to diamonds. Drink 2027 - 2060.
100
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate, January 2026
The Marchese’s initial wines were not received well by Italy’s wine critics and it was only in 1968 that the first commercial vintage of Sassicaia was released. This new wine was soon hailed as a “Super Tuscan”, becoming the first wine to claim this title since it was made with international rather than indigenous Italian grape varieties. Today the estate is run by Mario’s son, Nicoló, and Sassicaia is Tenuta San Guido’s flagship wine, regularly receiving perfect 100 point scores from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.
Composed of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, Sassicaia boasts a remarkably complex flavour profile with plenty of rich dark fruit, hints of bitter herbs and mint, and notes of cigar box spice and woodsmoke from the ageing in French oak barrels. This is a wine which can be cellared for decades or enjoyed now alongside hearty red meat dishes like venison, beef stews or coq au vin.
