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.

The purity of cabernet sauvignon fruit is exceptional here, with character and sensibility that’s reminiscent of some of the great Sassicaias from the 1980s, such as 1982 or 1988. But this is much more precise and clean. Aromas and flavors of currants and berries with cedar and earth. Sage and minty character, too. It’s full-bodied yet there’s so much polish and balance, together with structure, elegance, and refinement. Hard not to drink at this stage, yet give it time and respect. This will be a classic Sass and reminds me why I love this wine. Try after 2026.

Enticing aromas of blue flower, cassis, camphor and spice are front and center in this stunning red. The lithe, savory palate features black currant, red plum and star anise while tobacco notes linger on the long finish. Elegant, polished tannins and bright acidity keep it beautifully balanced and focused. Drink 2025–2044. Kerin O'Keefe

The 2019 Sassicaia is exquisite and refined, with interwoven layers of cassis, leather, Mediterranean herbs, and dark mineral earth. It is medium to full-bodied, with ripe though present tannins and a long and elegant finish that lifts off the palate and has fantastic energy throughout, with notes of black cherry, tobacco, and a stony texture. There is a classic and tension-filled sensibility that will benefit from several years in cellar to achieve its full expression. Drink 2025-2045. Home of the historic first vines planted to Cabernet Sauvignon in 1944, the first commercial release for Sassicaia was produced in 1968.

Sassicaia is a fresh Mediterranean wine with elegance and although concentrated, it's almost never huge - and definitely not this 2019, which is arguably leaner than expected for a Bolgheri. However, this style is the signature of this great wine: extremely elegant lavender scents alongside bramble fruit, leafy Mediterranean spiciness and cedar wood length, supported by ripe, polished tannins and poised, savoury fruit. It recalls some of the classic vintages of the 1980s; its chiselled balance suggests long ageing potential. The traditional blend for this wine is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, aged for 25 months in oak (one-third new).

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.

Tasting this in a vertical with a good 20 year gap between the oldest and the youngest wines, and although this is only five years old, with clear density to the flavours, it's striking that the soft caress of the tannins that you find in the 1988 is still in evidence in the younger wine. Smoky peat aromatics, rich red cherry, raspberry, balsamic, iron, oyster shell salinity, a careful climb in the tannins, it's all here already. A wonderful vintage in Tuscany, great clarity on the palate, the feeling that you are in the presence of true beauty. Just at the starting blocks but an exceptional wine. 40% new oak for ageing, Carlo Paoli director.

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. ML

The 2019 Sassicaia is exquisite and refined, with interwoven layers of cassis, leather, Mediterranean herbs, and dark mineral earth. It is medium to full-bodied, with ripe though present tannins and a long and elegant finish that lifts off the palate and has fantastic energy throughout, with notes of black cherry, tobacco, and a stony texture. There is a classic and tension-filled sensibility that will benefit from several years in cellar to achieve its full expression. Drink 2025-2045. AF

Lustrous mid ruby. More classic, if you like, than the 2022, 2021 or 2020 with brooding, contained richness. Raspberry and hints of cassis with a touch of cigar box and the merest suggestion of eucalyptus, but overall still a little closed. Slow to emerge but layered. Sleek yet concentrated but still quite subdued on the palate. A near-perfect balance between firm, polished tannins clinging to the juicy, elegant fruit and streamlined by energetic acidity. You could decant this and enjoy it but it will take some time to get to its peak. (WS)

Lustrous mid ruby. More classic, if you like, than the 2022, 2021 or 2020 with brooding, contained richness. Raspberry and hints of cassis with a touch of cigar box and the merest suggestion of eucalyptus, but overall still a little closed. Slow to emerge but layered. Sleek yet concentrated but still quite subdued on the palate. A near-perfect balance between firm, polished tannins clinging to the juicy, elegant fruit and streamlined by energetic acidity. You could decant this and enjoy it but it will take some time to get to its peak. (WS)

Sassicaia 2019 spent 25 months in oak (one-third new). ‘We are going longer in oak in the past few years,’ said Carlo Paoli, managing director of Tenuta San Guido. Quite pale in the glass, the nose is extremely graceful and intense with a lavender note enhanced by restrained bramble fruits, fermented citrus peel, an intense violet aroma and graphite minerality in depth. The attack is soft and full, the flavor savoury and cedary through to the finish, with integrated velvety tannins and lifted acidity. A perfectly woven structure is bound with signature freshness and fruit vibrancy, making this one for the long haul. Drinking Window 2022 - 2050
Tasted by Aldo Fiordelli
Part of First taste: Sassicaia 2019

This 2019 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia is really very special. A subtle change has occurred and the typically aristocratic and elegant finesse of Sassicaia now has a little more joie de vivre. It is intense and deeply concentrated without being heavy and with very fine, beautifully integrated tannins that harmonize with the body of the wine. Carlo Paoli, MD and head of winemaking, views 2019 as “one of the great vintages of the last decades. Although it was not generous in quantity (about 15% less than in 2016), for the quality of the grapes… it is to be considered exceptional.” The winemaking team are at their peak in terms of understanding and managing the vineyards and the more extreme vintage variations they face due to climate change. There were 280,000 bottles made this year but in response to climate change, Paoli plans to reduce the quantity. The 2019 reminds me a lot of the sublime 2016 but somehow it is bolder with even more energy, vivacity, and exuberance. Drink from 2024-2050.
Tasted Sept 2022 - Susan Hulme MW The Wine Independent