Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 2021

Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 2021

 

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Tenuta San Guido
Sassicaia 2021
  • Vintage : 2021
  • Country : Italy
  • Region : Tuscany
  • Subregion :
  • Type : Red
  • Style : Rich and Spicy
  • Format : 75cl
  • Alcohol : 14°
  • Grappes : 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc

The Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 2021 is an iconic Super Tuscan from the celebrated Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC, blending Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to create a wine of remarkable complexity and elegance.

Experts Score Vintage
RP Robert Parker 100 2021
DCT Decanter 100 2021
WS Wine Spectator 98 2021
WE Wine Enthusiast 98 2021
VN Vinous (Antonio Galloni) 98 2021
JS James Suckling 98 2021
More information on wine critics and ratings

Region and Vineyards

The Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC is one of Italy's most prestigious wine regions, situated along the Tuscan coast. The name Sassicaia means "the place of many stones," a reference to the region’s distinctive gravel soils, which are similar to those found in Bordeaux. These stony soils offer excellent drainage, forcing the vines to grow deep into the ground, which results in concentrated, mineral-driven fruit.

The vineyards of Tenuta San Guido are located at various altitudes, benefitting from extensive sun exposure and cooling maritime breezes. These unique conditions contribute to the wine’s fresh acidity, complex aromatics, and refined tannic structure. The 2021 vintage benefitted from a growing season that began with a rainy winter, followed by a warm summer and a perfectly timed harvest, resulting in small but highly concentrated berries.

Winemaking

The Sassicaia 2021 is produced with a meticulous winemaking process that emphasizes tradition and precision. The grapes are hand-harvested, followed by destemming and crushing. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks using natural yeasts, ensuring the purity of the fruit and terroir.

After fermentation, the wine is aged for 24 months in a combination of French oak barriques from Tronçais, Allier, and Jupilles forests. About 40% of the barrels are new, while the rest are first and second passage. This careful use of oak enhances the wine's structure and complexity without overwhelming its delicate fruit character. Frequent bâtonnages and the addition of noble lees during aging add depth and texture. The wine is refined in bottle before release.

Tasting Notes

  • Color: Deep, dark ruby with vibrant purple reflections.
  • Aroma: The nose opens with intense aromas of fresh mint, lavender, and hints of citrus, followed by layers of sweet spices and a touch of graphite. A subtle saline quality emerges as the wine evolves in the glass.
  • Palate: On the palate, the Sassicaia 2021 is rich and enveloping, with a luxurious mouthfeel that showcases flavors of dark berries, cassis, and a hint of tobacco. The saline and mineral notes carry through, giving the wine a refreshing lift and remarkable length.
  • Finish: Long and persistent, with fine-grained tannins that promise further complexity with age.

Did You Know?

The 2021 Sassicaia continues the legacy of Italy’s first Super Tuscan, a wine so successful that it was granted its own DOC in 1994. The creation of Sassicaia dates back to the 1940s, when Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta first planted Bordeaux varietals in Tuscany, revolutionizing the region’s winemaking.

Wine Pairing Ideas

  • Florentine steak: The richness of the meat complements the wine’s bold fruit and tannic structure, while the wine’s minerality enhances the savory flavors of the steak.
  • Wild boar ragù: The earthy, gamey notes of wild boar pair beautifully with Sassicaia’s depth and spicy character.
  • Aged Parmesan: The salty, nutty flavors of aged Parmesan enhance the wine’s complexity, especially its saline and mineral qualities.
  • Roast lamb with rosemary: The herbal notes of rosemary match the wine’s minty, floral aromas, while the lamb’s richness balances the wine’s tannins.

History of Tenuta San Guido

The history of Tenuta San Guido is deeply rooted in the Italian aristocracy and in the winemaking traditions of Bolgheri. The estate was founded by Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who, in the 1940s, had the visionary idea of planting Bordeaux varietals, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, in the Tuscan hills, a region historically known for Sangiovese.

Inspired by the great wines of Bordeaux, particularly Château Lafite, Mario Incisa della Rocchetta experimented with the idea of creating a wine that would combine the character of Tuscan terroir with the structure of Bordeaux blends. His decision to plant vineyards in stony, gravelly soils similar to those of Bordeaux led to the creation of Sassicaia, a wine that became the first Italian Super Tuscan to gain international recognition.

The first commercial vintage of Sassicaia was released in 1968, and it quickly gained acclaim, leading to the creation of the Bolgheri DOC in 1994, which was specifically designed for Sassicaia and other wines of the region. The estate remains in the hands of the Incisa della Rocchetta family, who continue to produce world-class wines under the leadership of Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta, Mario’s son.

Region and Vineyards

Tenuta San Guido is located in the heart of the Bolgheri DOC, an area on the Tuscan coast that benefits from its proximity to the sea. The vineyards are planted at various altitudes, from sea level up to 400 meters, offering a wide range of microclimates and soil types, from gravel and limestone to clay.

The unique climate of Bolgheri, with its mild winters and warm, dry summers, is tempered by the cooling influence of the Tyrrhenian Sea, which helps preserve the acidity and balance in the grapes. This maritime climate is ideal for Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, which thrive in these conditions, producing wines of great structure, finesse, and aging potential.

Tenuta San Guido’s vineyards are divided into three main areas:

  • Sassicaia: The estate's most iconic vineyard, producing the legendary Sassicaia wine from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes.
  • Guidalberto: A vineyard named after Guidalberto della Gherardesca, producing wines such as Guidalberto, a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
  • Le Difese: A vineyard focusing on a more accessible wine, Le Difese, made with a higher proportion of Sangiovese blended with Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine Range

Tenuta San Guido produces three primary wines, each reflecting the estate’s philosophy of quality, innovation, and respect for tradition:

  • Sassicaia: The flagship wine, made predominantly from Cabernet Sauvignon (85%) with a small percentage of Cabernet Franc (15%). It is one of Italy’s most prestigious wines and has earned global acclaim for its elegance, structure, and aging potential.

  • Guidalberto: A blend of Merlot (60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), offering a more approachable style compared to Sassicaia, but still maintaining the estate's hallmark complexity and balance.

  • Le Difese: A blend of Sangiovese (70%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), it is designed to be an early-drinking wine with vibrant fruit and smooth tannins, offering an introduction to the estate’s style at a more accessible price point.

Did You Know?

Sassicaia was so influential that in 1994, it became the only Italian wine to have its own DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), the Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC, making it the first and only Italian wine region created for a single wine. This move recognized Sassicaia’s exceptional quality and its role in transforming the reputation of Italian wines globally.

Robert Parker (RP) : 100 Points (2021)
Here it is: A quintessential Sassicaia that represents the excellence of the vintage and also respects the unique taste profile of this distinguished Tuscan blend of Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc. The Tenuta San Guido 2021 Bolgheri Sassicaia offers impeccable balance, excellent freshness and absolutely no signs of over-ripeness. The fruit balance is ideal with a hint of crunch and lasting tension from pulp and skins. The tannins are deftly managed with firm grip and enough velvetiness to add volume and length. There is no greenness on the bouquet that instead offers mulled herbs and spice, with cinnamon and clove, layered delicately between mostly red and some purple berry fruits. Redcurrant, blueberry, sweet pomegranate and Rainier cherry run strong in this vintage. A fragrant hint of heritage rose emerges with time. The oak tones are geared toward gingerbread, hazelnut, cigar, sandalwood and something like a grilled sweet red pepper. To the palate, it offers nice weight with no heavy glycerin, and a rinse of acidity that adds to the wine’s natural energy, brightness and viscosity. That marked freshness opens the wine up to long aging potential, but you still need to give it more time in bottle.(ML)

Decanter (DCT) : 100 Points (2021)
In 2021, ‘we had a nicely paced harvest... surely a very fortunate vintage for us, for Bolgheri,’ said Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta at the launch in London of the 2021 vintage of Sassicaia. Welcome rain in mid-August came at just the right time to save the harvest, and production ended up being slightly higher than in 2020. Around eight to 10 separate vinifications were made, fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and spontaneous malo. The wines were racked to second- and third-use barriques in December 2021, then racked into a mixture of new and used barriques in March 2022. The last step was to make the final blend in stainless tanks, where the wine underwent micro-oxygenation before bottling and further maturation in bottle. Rich dark fruit and herb aromatics are pockmarked by blueberry and petrichor, leading into an intense and vertical palate that's super-fresh with a delightful breezy, saline character. Textured, integrated tannins emphasise the refinement of Sassicaia, showing just a touch of youthful dustiness. Tangy, bright black, blue and red berry fruits overlay underlying hints of dark chocolate and forest undergrowth in a remarkably precise fashion, with pomegranate and a stony minerality surfacing on the mid-palate. 2021 demonstrates lovely sapidity of fruit along with that characteristic freshness and lightness of step, finishing long and poised. Superb. 99-100. (AB)

Wine Spectator (WS) : 98 Points (2021)
Rich yet elegant, laced with black cherry, blackberry, cedar, mineral and oak spice aromas and flavors, this resonant red builds to the long, detailed aftertaste. Shows great balance, with vibrant acidity and refined tannins, yet this will benefit from a few more years of aging. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2045.

Wine Enthusiast (WE) : 98 Points (2021)
Comforting and luxurious, if restrained at first, on the nose, like hot coffee with a slice of warm berry tart, then suddenly more serious, with aromas of leather-bound books and crisp fall air. The palate is utterly laden with berries but also vibrating with acid, and tannins feel like a silk textile, strong and supple, tightly stitched and flowing through an endless finish. (DC)

Vinous (Antonio Galloni) (VN) : 98 Points (2021)
The 2021 Sassicaia is one of the best young Sassicaias I can remember tasting, certainly on par with anything in recent memory. The preference here is picking on the earlier side relative to many neighboring properties, which is one of the reasons Sassicaia is always a wine of refinement more than opulence. At the same time, Sassicaia can be light. Not in 2021. All the elements came together during a long growing season to produce a rich, deep wine that marries textural intensity with classicism. Dark cherry/plum fruit, spice, new leather, menthol, licorice and spice all race across the palate. Time in the glass brings out the wine's textural intensity and sheer power. The 2021 is one of the most concentrated Sassicaias on record. That allowed for long macerations, as long as 20 days for some Cabernets. Aging was 25 months in French oak barrels (95% French, 5% a mix of Hungarian and Slavonian wood), 40% new, 40% once-used barrels and 20% in twice-used barrels. One of the recent developments here is some bâtonnage in aging, which is used to build texture. That approach worked well in 2021. In a word: magnificent. 98+ (AG)

James Suckling (JS) : 98 Points (2021)
Very classy and typical of Sassicaia with currant, tobacco, chocolate, sage and lavender on the nose and palate. Medium- to full-bodied with very integrated and refined tannins that are caressing and pretty with a lovely length and beauty. Such finesse and structure at the same time. Best in 2028 and beyond but already joy to taste.

Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto 2022
Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto 2022
Tenuta San Guido
Guidalberto 2022
WS
94
RP
94
DCT
93
The Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto 2022 is a beautifully balanced blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, offering a more approachable alternative to its renowned sibling, Sassicaia. This wine showcases vibrant fruit and elegant structure, reflecting the unique terroir of Bolgheri.
65,50 €
Quantity : moins plus
Tenuta San Guido Le Difese 2022
Tenuta San Guido Le Difese 2022
Tenuta San Guido
Le Difese 2022
DCT
92
VN
92
JS
91
Le Difese 2022 is a refined, smooth wine that is accessible yet sophisticated, representing the hallmark of Tuscan winemaking with a perfect balance of fruit and structure.
39,90 €
Quantity : moins plus
Wine regions guide
390,00 €
Quantity : Moins     Plus
 
 
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