2004 Guidalberto

The estate's 2004 Guidalberto (45% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Sangiovese) beautifully captures the pedigree of its superior vintage. It presents a lively, darker color as well as a more vibrant, well-delineated set of aromas and flavors, including suggestions of dark cherries, violets, toasted oak and earthiness with a lovely underlying note of minerality and long, fresh finish. Although the Guidalberto is not made from the same vineyards as Sassicaia, it is hard not to wonder how that wine will turn out in this important vintage.

The estate’s 2004 Guidalberto (45% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Sangiovese) beautifully captures the pedigree of its superior vintage. It presents a lively, darker color as well as a more vibrant, well-delineated set of aromas and flavors, including suggestions of dark cherries, violets, toasted oak and earthiness with a lovely underlying note of minerality and long, fresh finish. Although the Guidalberto is not made from the same vineyards as Sassicaia, it is hard not to wonder how that wine will turn out in this important vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2016. Niccolo Incisa della Rocchetta is upbeat about his 2003s. “Of course it was a very hot, dry vintage, but under these circumstances Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc tended to perform better than other varietals such as Merlot. I am happy with the balance of our Sassicaia although clearly we can’t call it a ‘classic’ vintage. Sassicaia is a wine that needs bottle age to show its full potential and I am confident the 2003 will age well. Today it reminds me most of the 1978.” Importer: Kobrand Corp., New York, NY; tel. (212) 490-9300

By the time the 2004 Guidalberto was made, Sangiovese had been dropped from the blend. The wine settled into its current configuration of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in roughly equal parts. The Le Difese entry-level wine started production in 2002 and the extra Sangiovese fruit was redirected there. This is a gorgeous wine that delivers all sorts of pleasant surprises. It has grown in richness and intensity over the years and shows a stunning sense of harmony and balance today. The vintage was warm and the wine reveals rich extract and color as a result. Plush oak tones of spice and vanilla soften the wine at its edges. It is yielding, soft and generous. The 2004 Guidalberto is drinking beautifully right now. ||When Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi made a state visit to Washington, D.C. this past April, he packed a few bottles for the trip. He selected four wines to share with President Barack Obama. According to media reports they were Sassicaia (the 2011 vintage), Ornellaia, Tignanello and a Brunello di Montalcino by Mastrojanni. The statesmen sampled the wines together and President Obama joked that it would be “insulting” not to taste them. During a press conference, he turned to Renzi and smiled: “I will give you, Matteo, a report on whether it is up to the quality we expect.” |Born in Florence, Prime Minister Renzi made a sound selection of wines from his native Tuscany to share with the American president. Of these wines, none is more iconic than Sassicaia. Roughly one month prior to the White House wine summit, I was in Bolgheri at Tenuta San Guido to taste a few older vintages of Sassicaia including the 1982 and 1998. I was also able to taste preview samples of the excellent 2013 vintage and the challenging 2014 vintage. eRobertParker.com.June, 2015