2016 Sassicaia
By Tenuta San Guido
2016 Sassicaia by Tenuta San Guido, an Italian Epoch Defining Vintage
Without a doubt, the 2016 Sassicaia from Tenuta San Guido is one incredibly compelling narrative in the annals of fine wines from Italy. This particular vintage represents a fascinating dichotomy; a masterful display of might and elegance reckoning with each other under the influence of climatic benevolence.
Exquisite Artistry on Palate
The rich tapestry of climatic conditions in 2016 steered this vintage towards unprecedented supremacy. A temperate spring was followed by summer months characterised by warm days and pleasantly cool nights - providing a near-miraculous cultivation environment for the Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.
The result is a wine that is both resolute and refined in its profile. The nose initially greets one with an opulent bouquet of ripe blackcurrants, cherries, and subtle notes of graphite, giving way to evolving nuances of tobacco, mint and spice.
Gift of the climatic Gods - The Legendary Year
Unquestionably, the year 2016 is celebrated as one of Italy's optimum recovery periods from moisture stress encountered in previous years. And, Tenuta San Guido reaped benefits abundantly from these bestowed blessings.
Rarely does power meet finesse with such symmetry. A wine that offers generous fruit-driven richness but achieving this power with a level of sophistication and refined poise that only the finest wines aspire to.
A lingering finish encapsulates the charm and bravura of the 2016 Sassicaia from Tenuta San Guido. This vintage tells a tale of an extraordinary year, impeccably encapsulated in a vintage that's an indulgence for the senses, a testament to the nuances of time, terroir and tireless expertise that defines it.
Italian Elegance: A Future-Proof Investment
No portfolio of fine wines from Italy is complete without a representative from Tenuta San Guido, and the 2016 Sassicaia stands as its monumental titan. Here is an essential acquisition opportunity for the discerning investor looking to incorporate depth, range, and prolonged growth potential into their holdings.
Market price (HKD)
HK$36,530.00
12x75cl
Highest score
100
POP score
191
Scores and tasting notes
The 2016 Bolgheri Sassicaia is a wine of soaring achievement. I tasted this wine several times during the course of its creation in both barrel and bottle, and the highly deserved 100-point score you see here was enthusiastically assigned at the conclusion of a mini vertical in which I tasted and compared the 2016 vintage against 2015 (which I scored 97 points). It makes perfect sense to present these two excellent vintages in back-to-back comparison fashion because they are two of the best to emerge from Bolgheri, and indeed Tenuta San Guido, in recent memory. These are very similar vintages with long, hot summer months that fueled a long growing season. There was a bit more rain in 2016, and in analytical terms this vintage has a tad more acidity. However, the results in the glass are extraordinarily different. The 2015 vintage is exuberant, round, succulent and immediate, whereas the 2016 vintage shows pinpoint sharpness and precision (with similar grit and texture at the back). That acidity will carry it long into the future as the wine completes its slow evolutionary course. This wine is chiseled and sharp with blackberry, ripe cherry, grilled herb and barbecue spice. The aromas flow from the glass in a continuous stream and are all marked by radiant intensity. The mouthfeel is long and powerful. The crisp linearity of the wine's tannic backbone is perfectly measured to the volume and depth of the fruit flavors. To my mind, the 2016 Sassicaia stands tall next to the epic 1985 vintage that set the ultimate benchmark for vino italiano.
Monica Larner - The Wine Advocate, 17 January 2019