I just drank this in Zurich today and it is clearly the best Sassicaia since 1988, and it gets better and better in the bottle. It really does remind me of the awesome 1988, which can be better than the legendary 1985. The 1998 shows so many layers of dark fruit, cedar and terra cotta on the nose. It's intense and powerful; stony with sweet tobacco and berry undertones plus currants and sultanas. It's full-bodied with ultra-fine tannins and great depth. It's not completely open yet. Decant two hours in advance before serving.

Good full red with a little bricking at the rim. The captivating nose suggests red cherry nectar, sandalwood, faded flowers, minerals, smoke and sweet spices, along with more evolved nuances of cured ham, crystallized orange peel and cumin. Then magically sweet, subtle and lively, with still excellent energy to the red fruit and milk chocolate flavours that are nicely complicated by potpourri and a dusting of powdered rocks and sandalwood. Beautifully delineated and still firm after all these years, the 1998 Sassicaia conveys an impression of excellent extract and wondrous balance. Clearly no spring chicken, but very impressively fresh on the full-flavoured finish that showcases substantial noble tannins, real class and memorable refinement. The 1998 is the best vintage of Sassicaia in the 1990s and one of the five best Sassicais of all time. Drinking window: 2022-2040. Ian D'Agata Aug 2022 - Terroirsense.com

Lovely, subtle yet complex aromas of currants, sage and green olives lead to a full-bodied red with a solid core of fruit and well-integrated tannins. Still very reserved on the finish, but those who are patient should be rewarded. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best after 2005

The ’98 Sassicaia has a lovely bouquet of wild blackberries, melted tar, walnut and smoke that soars from the glass with great clarity. The palate is medium-bodied with fine silky tannins, moving into secondary phase with scorched leather, tar, a touch of tobacco and spice towards the finish. Some lovely torrefactory notes towards the finish with the mouth tingling with spice on the exit. This is simply gorgeous. Tasted February 2010.

Gentle ruby red, tawny on the edges, soft clove and woodsmoke aromatics, enticing tertiary caress on the palate, with crushed brambled raspberries, old books, olive pit, leather, saffron. This was an exceptional, fully ripe vintage and is a little more evolved than the last time that tasted it. Opened two bottles, and this is not just individual variation, but also part of the mystery of wine's evolution, where it can dip and rise in quality and character through the years. Feel confident that this 1998 will come back around, or you can drink now and simply enjoy sinking into the exuberance. 40% new oak for ageing, Giacomo Tachis winemaker.

Seductive and greedy, the welcoming nose shows we are in full stride at this point. These wines are sharing their secrets, highlighting the floral aspects and the character of Sassicaia in a decade that had more challenging vintages than the 2000s. Aromatics still lively and even with tertiary notes we are in no way sacrificing power at nearly 20 years old. Tertiary notes of black truffles and black olives appear, yet they are so deft, so beautiful, we sink into their embrace. I love this. It hovers on the edge of exoticism and excess, and yet every time it pulls back.
Tasted by Jane Anson (at Rome, 27 Oct 2016)
Part of Sassicaia wines tasted: 1968 - 2015

The 1998 Bolgheri Sassicaia presents an interesting challenge and counter position. It feels like it is traveling at two speeds. On first nose, you are reminded of its age thanks to oxidized tones of dried spice, cumin, cured meat and bresaola. Despite the wine's clearly evolved state, it also bursts forth with an impressive charge of dark fruit integrity, fullness and freshness. Lingering mineral tones add polished elegance and a sense of delineated grace that is memorable and ultimately very beautiful. Those marine tones appear throughout the texture of this wine like a delicate embroidery. If the wine appears huddled and hunched down on first approach, you find that it suddenly stands tall and glorious after a few quick swirls of the glass.

The 1998 Sassicaia exhibits a dense ruby color with purple highlights and a classic nose of cedar, spice box, licorice, and black currants. Medium-bodied, powerful, extracted, and rich as well as elegant and well-balanced, it requires 2-3 years of cellaring, and should evolve for 15-20. Importer: Kobrand Corp., New York, NY; tel. (212) 490-9300

Lustrous mid ruby with a bricky rim. Beautiful, fine nose of cassis and undergrowth, laced with oak, yet a little fuller than its bordeaux blueprint. A little locked up, but the palate shows fine sweet cassis and long-lasting grainy tannins. Gorgeous freshness on the finish. The oak is noticeable, but the whole is far from falling apart. (WS)