Wine Advisor
Tenuta San Guido, Sassicaia Bolgheri 2019
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Description
Sasssicaia have property that stretches over 2,500 hectares, chosen to select and plant vineyards exclusively on the most suitable lands, covering just a small area of the total surface. An area that is unique in terms of soil type, microclimate, and exposure that deserves its own appellation: DOC Bolgheri Sassicaia. The 1968 vintage saw the debut of Sassicaia, a courageous wine that at the time, broke away from the standard way of making Tuscan Wine. The wine is named after the stony soil which it comes from, and, by its nature, is destined to go far, to mark the boundaries between the different crops. Its ornamental value, with the tall cypresses running in double rows, came after that.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
The latest release from Tenuta San Guido is the 2019 Bolgheri Sassicaia. The bouquet is up front and very expressive from the get-go. It offers a generous display of crunchy, dark cherry that hints at the extra concentration and fruit weight obtained in the 2019 growing season. This vintage will be remembered for the crisp richness of the fruit and its important textural imprint. It also shows fine elegance, bordering on the ethereal, with berry aromas, tarry earth and brushes of balsam herb or grilled rosemary. Sassicaia always shows an almost-glossy finely knit quality to the polished mouthfeel, and I find it again here next to fresh acidity and firm tannins. Mouthfeel in 2019 is the wine's strongest suit. The 2019 is one of the prettiest and most balanced editions of Sassicaia we've seen this past decade, along with the back-to-back duo of 2016 and 2015. The 2019 marries the precision of the 2016 with the rich fruit weight of the 2015.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2019 Sassicaia is restrained and also a bit reticent in its first impression. Rose petal, dried herbs, blood orange, mint, sweet pipe tobacco and cinnamon give the 2019 striking aromatic presence. The 2019 is a mid-weight, very classic feeling Sassicaia that is going to need a number of years to open. There's good fruit depth, but the tannins are not as polished as they usually are. That could be a result of lingering stress from frost that year or recent bottling. The 2019 saw 18-20 days on the skins with natural ferments. Malos followed in tank. Aging was 25 months in barrel (1/3rd new), a longer elevage than normal. The 2019 shows beautifully with a few hours of aeration, so I am optimistic for the future. Let's see what happens. (Originally Published in March 2022)
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2019 Sassicaia is restrained and also a bit reticent in its first impression. Rose petal, dried herbs, blood orange, mint, sweet pipe tobacco and cinnamon give the 2019 striking aromatic presence. The 2019 is a mid-weight, very classic feeling Sassicaia that is going to need a number of years to open. There's good fruit depth, but the tannins are not as polished as they usually are. That could be a result of lingering stress from frost that year or recent bottling. The 2019 saw 18-20 days on the skins with natural ferments. Malos followed in tank. Aging was 25 months in barrel (1/3rd new), a longer elevage than normal. The 2019 shows beautifully with a few hours of aeration, so I am optimistic for the future. Let's see what happens.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
Tenuta San Guido’s 2019 Bolgheri Sassicaia remains somewhat reserved or "behind" aromatically, signaling that it still has a long road ahead before reaching its peak drinking window. It shows rich concentration with elegant fruit weight and a pretty mineral backline, supported by natural spiciness, freshness and energy. Phenolically rich and reminiscent of the slower-aging 2009 vintage, the bouquet is distinguished by a black petrol or campfire ash character that gradually gives way to plump, sweet fruit and bright accents of spice. The palate reveals texture through slowly resolving tannins, and while the 2019 can feel a touch more abrupt when tasted alongside the supremely fluid and supple 2023, it promises depth and longevity with further cellaring.
About the Producer
Tenuta San Guido is located in the seaside area of Bolgheri in Toscana, Italy. The Sassicaia wine produced by the winery is known as the king of wine in Italy and enjoys the reputation of "Italian Lafite". Marquis Mario (Mario Incisa della Rocchetta) is the founder of the San Guito winery. He loves fine wine, horse racing and environmental protection, and has always dreamed of making a wine of excellent quality, an Italian wine that can swept the upper class. Well, it's Bordeaux style. In the 1940s, Marquis Mario and his wife came to live in the winery of San Guito. The innovation of "the first person to eat crabs". Winery San Guito made Sicilian wines from 1948 until the mid-1960s, but it was only consumed in-house. 1968 was a year to remember. This year, the ever-improving Cissicaia was launched for the first time. In the international blind tasting competition that year, Cissicaia’s excellent performance shocked the entire wine world, and its popularity was comparable to that of the top wineries in Bordeaux. Sanguito Winery's vineyard covers an area of 173 acres (about 70 hectares), all located in the DOC production area of Siciia, and the garden is planted with 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. The average age of the vines is 25-30 years, the planting density is 4,000-5,000 vines/ha, and the average yield is 1 kg/plant. Winemaking at San Guito Winery takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel barrels that hold between 3,500 liters and 11,000 liters. The dipping time is approximately 2 weeks. Aged for 2 years in 33% new French oak barrels with a capacity of 225 liters. The main wine produced by San Guito Winery is San Guito Winery Xishijiaya dry red wine. This wine is one of the most famous Italian wines, made with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Recent good years include: 2000, 1998, 1997, 1993, 1990, 1988, 1985, 1982, 1978 and 1975.
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Package Size
1 x 1.5L12 x 37.5cl
