2017 Sassicaia
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Tasting notes
Sassicaia is one of the most globally-renowned and revered red wines in production. As the original and still most celebrated Super Tuscan, Sassicaia is famed and feted for its timeless elegance, balance and longevity. A new Sassicaia release is always hotly anticipated, and despite the challenges of the 2017 vintage for Tuscany, which saw production levels dramatically cut at many top wineries where quality is paramount, followers of this fine wine stalwart will not pass up on the 2017 Sassicaia - magnificent as ever. The personality of this wine means that collectors seek out every vintage, knowing that a winery of this level will always produce the best results achievable. Indeed, Sassicaia's old vines, high altitude, state of the art facilities and meticulous work ethic mean that the wine produced will never be less than fantastic. As Monica Larner explained, “Vintners with experience such as that amassed at Tenuta San Guido (…) knew exactly how to handle the tricky 2017 growing season.” The result for Antonio Galloni is “a wild, exotic beauty.” Because of severely reduced quantities in this vintage, the 2017 will be a market rarity, so we recommend moving fast to secure this world-class wine before its imminent sell out.
Critic scores
Average Score
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Lustrous deep ruby and just beginning to show some orange tinges. Just a touch of undergrowth and cherry with just a hint of cassis mingling with savoury cigar-box notes and salty, minerally notes. Succulent and polished fruit with beautiful finely ground tannins coating the fruit. Ends really fresh and with a grip of fine tannins on the finish. Ready now but will hold for a decade and probably more. Beautiful suave tannins clinging to the finish. (WS)
The 2017 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia is one ripe, sexy beauty that has tons of sweet red and black fruits as well as spice, dried herbs, leather, and loamy earth. It shows the sunny, riper style of the vintage and is full-bodied, has sweet tannins, beautiful balance, and a great finish. This ripe, up-front, already accessible Sassicaia has plenty of early appeal, yet I see no reason it shouldn’t evolve for another two decades if well stored. It's close in quality to the 2016, if not a notch below.
The 2017 Sassicaia shows the natural richness and intensity of the year while retaining its mid-weight sense of balance and overall poise. A burst of super-ripe red cherry/plum fruit makes a strong opening statement. Mocha, cinnamon, leather and dried herbs appear later, adding aromatic lift. The 2017 is a fairly immediate Sassicaia. Even so, it has enough energy to drink well for a number of years. Production is down 35%, a combination of naturally low yields, dehydration on the vine and then selection in the cellar. Most of the fruit comes from the estate’ hillside vineyards, older parcels that resisted the conditions better.
About the producer
Tentuta San Guido produces Sassicaia – Italy’s most famous wine. An icon from the Bolgheri coastline of Tuscany, made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, its rise to prominence in the late 1970s sparked the Super Tuscan revolution.