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2023 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri Sassicaia

Regular price $324.98

100 Wine Advocate - 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.

98 Decanter - Sassicaia 2023 will divide drinkers. While its quality is without question, it takes the idea of finesse and elegance to another level. In truth, this is more a reflection of the vintage conditions than a winemaking decision – but that's what all great wineries aim to show in the glass, isn't it? For some, this will be too light, too floral, and too far removed from ‘classic’ Bolgheri. For others, especially those who have been following this estate for several years, it's a dream come true; a true-to-life model for the future of Italian reds. Me? I'm on the fence. It almost pales in comparison to the depth of fruit and chewy tannins of 2022, while the 2019 tasted alongside emphasises juiciness and silkiness. Supple, lifted and fragrant, 2023's pure, crunchy bramble fruits, succulent, sapid mid-palate and prolonged freshness make you think differently...in a very good way. 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Cabernet Franc.

96 Wine Spectator - Menthol, eucalyptus, iron and Mediterranean scrub notes mingle with blackberry, black currant and licorice flavors in this dense and firmly built red. With air, this turns supple and fluid, picking up sweet spice accents. Nonetheless, this tightens up on the finish, where the fruit, mineral and balsamic elements reign. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. 

***

The 2023 Sassicaia is a magnificent expression of Italy's original Super Tuscan, combining the aristocratic restraint that defines the estate with a remarkable sense of purity and energy. Produced from predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with a small proportion of Cabernet Franc, it captures the unmistakable character of Bolgheri's coastal vineyards while remaining unmistakably Sassicaia.

The bouquet is intensely aromatic, revealing layers of black currant, wild blackberry, plum, and dark cherry intertwined with lavender, violet, Mediterranean herbs, graphite, cedar, tobacco, and hints of blood orange and exotic spice. As the wine opens, subtle notes of sage, rosemary, crushed stone, and balsamic herbs emerge, adding remarkable complexity and freshness.

On the palate, the 2023 is both powerful and impeccably refined. Silky, polished tannins frame concentrated dark fruit while vibrant acidity and a pronounced mineral backbone provide exceptional precision and lift. Despite its depth and structure, the wine possesses an unusual openness in its youth, balancing richness with elegance in a way that recalls the estate's greatest vintages. The finish is extraordinarily long, echoing with cassis, cedar, savory herbs, fine spice, and saline minerality.

The 2023 growing season presented significant challenges, including abundant spring rainfall and severe downy mildew pressure that reduced yields by roughly 20%. Meticulous vineyard selection and rigorous sorting allowed Tenuta San Guido to craft what many critics consider one of the estate's finest modern releases. Monica Larner of The Wine Advocate awarded the wine a perfect 100-point score, comparing its achievement to the legendary 1985 Sassicaia, while James Suckling rated it 99 points.

Already captivating with decanting, the 2023 Sassicaia has the structure and balance to evolve gracefully for three decades or more. It is a benchmark vintage that beautifully illustrates why Sassicaia remains the standard against which all Super Tuscans are measured.

Shipping Policy

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  • Unless your delivery address is on the West Coast, we strongly discourage you from selecting “Ground Service” as your shipping method. During the winter and summer months, weather conditions (temperature) and longer delivery times can often result in the spoilage of your order. It doesn’t make sense to invest in fine wines and then take the chance of ruining them due environmental factors during transit (faster and safer delivery generally isn’t much more expensive). We don’t make an additional profit on accelerated delivery, but we frequently recommend faster shipping options to our customers outside the West Coast.
  • You must be 21 years of age to order or receive alcoholic beverages.  Any shipments containing alcoholic beverages are sent with an “Adult Signature Required” sticker, and the common carrier that delivers our merchandise is required to ask and check for identification upon delivery. This means that an adult will have to be present at the time of delivery.  Please consider shipping to an office address.
  • During periods of extreme weather, we attempt to ship wines at the beginning of each week in order to get shipments to you before the weekend. This is because we have no control over the temperature conditions at our freight carriers’ warehouses. The result may be that your shipment doesn’t go out the day that you place an order.
  • We ship by Fedex or Fedex Ground. Our prices include packaging materials. Insurance may be available for an additional charge.
  • Vintage Wine Merchants, Inc. will arrange for shipment on behalf of the buyer, to an address specified by the buyer, provided that Vintage Wine Merchants, Inc. in its sole judgment believes that such shipment will not subject Vintage Wine Merchants, Inc. to the risk of any sort of legal action or other harm. If a buyer lives in a state where the direct shipment of wine by Vintage Wine Merchants, Inc. violates the law, we suggest that the buyer provide an alternative address in another state or have their wine shipped to a third-party storage facility in a direct shipping-friendly state.
  • Various states impose limitations on the quantity of alcoholic beverages that may be purchased and brought into their jurisdiction by a purchaser from another state without requiring the purchaser, a seller or shipper to possess certain licenses or permits. Vintage Wine Merchants, Inc. does not, as a condition of sale, assume any obligation nor bear any responsibility whatsoever for applying or obtaining any permits or licenses. Therefore, we recommend that you investigate the possibility of such limitations, and determine the manner in which alcoholic beverages shall be brought into your state from California, so as to comply with all of your state’s requirements.
  • Wine shipping rules in the United States are controlled by the state you live in. We do not ship wine to the following states at this time:
    • Alabama
    • Alaska
    • Arkansas
    • Delaware
      Kansas
    • Kentucky
      Louisiana
    • Maine
      Maryland
    • Massachusetts
      Michigan
    • Mississippi
      Montana
    • Nevada
      New York
    • North Dakota
      Oklahoma
    • Pennsylvania
      Rhode Island
    • South Dakota
    • Tennessee
    • Utah
    • Vermont
    • Virginia
    • Wisconsin

List Updated 2/1/2023
Please inquire about international shipping.

Vintage Wine Merchants
377 Santana Row, Suite 1135
San Jose, CA 95128
408-260-1115

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