Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Tenuta San Guido 2011 Bolgheri Sassicaia is a pleasant surprise, showing a level of freshness and youthfulness that belies its age. Elegant mineral notes give the wine verticality and brightness, carrying the palate with clarity and lift, though a moment of dark fruit weight and blackcurrant on the mid-palate recalls the hot conditions of the 2011 growing season. This vintage was notably charming and generous on release, a character it shares with the current 2023 vintage, and that early appeal continues to translate into poise and balance today.
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Wine Spectator
Ripe black cherry and blackberry flavors pick up accents of rosemary, mineral and spice in this red. Concentrated and intense, fresh and focused, leaning toward black currant and cedar notes on the solid finish. Racy midpalate. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
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James Suckling
Wonderful aromas of freshly sliced coastal rosemary and currants follow through to a full body, with integrated tannins and a fine finish. This shows so much finesse and beauty. But there is a solid backbone of tannins and length. Reminds me of some of the underrated Sass of the 1980s such as 1982, 1983 or 1987. Try after 2018.
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Decanter
While the 2010 took the main gong, I also loved the distinctive, very Mediterranean aromas of the 2011. Pundits often comment on the unique style of Sassicaia and that seductive and vibrant, aromatic intensity was clearly evident in both vintages here.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
An outstanding wine region made famous by Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who planted Cabernet Sauvignon vines for his own consumption in 1940s on his San Guido estate, and called the resulting wine, Sassicaia. Today the region’s Tuscan reds are based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which can be made as single varietal wines or blends. The local Sangiovese can make up no more than 50% of the blends. Today Sassicaia has its own DOC designation within the Bogheri DOC appellation.