San Guido - Sassicaia 2008 *

Cultivation: conventional

Aging: 18-24 months in barrique

Bottle aging: several months

Volume: 75 cl - 150 cl owc

Cellaring potential: 2033+

Sassicaia: The Italian wine that emerged during World War II due to the shortage of French wines has now gained worldwide fame. In 1944, visionary Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta decided to plant Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vines on a stony slope of his Tenuta San Guido in Bolgheri, about ten kilometers from the coast. The wine was named after the location, which was called "Sassicaia" due to its stony soil. 

Initially, Sassicaia was only tasted by family members and friends. It was only under the insistence of his son Nicolò and his nephew Marchese Piero Antinori that Incisa della Rocchetta decided to market the wine. In the early 1970s, the first 4,000 bottles of the 1968 vintage were released.

The Sassicaia — a dense to powerful red wine, atypical for Italy — began its slow triumph. For a long time, it was classified only as Vino da Tavola (table wine) since French grape varieties were not allowed in quality Italian wines (DOC). The 1980s marked the decade of Sassicaia's breakthrough. The 1985 vintage received 100 points from Robert Parker, making it the first Italian wine ever to do so. Other outstanding vintages followed, such as 1988 and 1990. 

The success and fame of Sassicaia were so great that in 1994, the authorities decided to establish a dedicated DOC (Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC). Sassicaia is the only wine in Italy with its own DOC. With the creation of the DOC, specific cultivation regulations were set, such as a minimum of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon. To this day, Sassicaia contains no Merlot, but around 15% Cabernet Franc. Since the vineyard area cannot be expanded, the total wine production is limited to just over 200,000 bottles. You might think that this is sufficient, but it is not enough to satisfy the enormous global demand.

The 2008 Bolgheri Sassicaia is a wine without a winemaker. The last vintage made by Giacomo Tachis was 2007 and incoming enologist Graziana Grassini claims 2009 as her first vintage. Within the context of this retrospective, the 2008 vintage opens a new chapter, because it is the first wine to show evident tertiary definition and complexity. In fact, the wine performs beautifully with an exalted performance and ethereal aromas. They include cassis, wild berry, crushed mineral, licorice, petrol and grilled herb. This wine is really coming together now and is entering a very exciting moment in its drinking life. It boasts finesse, elegance and grace. Yet, it also shows unmistakable richness and structure that gives the wine an enormous presence in terms of mouthfeel. This was one of the top highlights of the retrospective. 97/100 (04.2017) - robertparker.com