Sassicaia 2018

Der fulminante Jahrgang 2018 begann in der Toskana mit einem schlicht perfekten Frühling: keinerlei Frost und konstante Temperaturen sorgten für einen problemlosen Austrieb der Reben. Der Sommer zeichnete sich durch einen schönen Mix aus warmen Tagen und kühlen Nächten aus. Ein wahrhaft goldener Herbst sorgte für Trauben von hoher Reife und guter Qualität, ein insgesamt ganz exzellenter Jahrgang.

Im Glas präsentiert sich der Sassicaia 2018 in einem intensiven Rubinrot. Darüber entfaltet sich ein intensives Bukett nach Maulbeere und Heidelbeere, dazu Anklänge nach Orangenzeste und Lavendel. Am Gaumen mit voller, besonders dunkler Frucht, Cassis und Weichselkirsche, frische Noten nach Eukalyptus und Tabak. Die Tannine zeigen sich schon früh reif und gut integriert, der Abgang wirkt gefühlt ewig und eindrucksvoll nach. Enormes Lagerpotenzial!

Glänzendes, sattes Rubinviolett. In der Nase sehr knackige und klare Frucht, präzise, viel Cassis, Brombeere und etwas Leder. Auch am Gaumen viel saftige Frucht, erstaunliche Frische, dunkle Ribisel, zeigt große Spannung, griffiges Tannin, im Finale feine Minze, ein Langläufer mit Potenzial für viel Jahre. Falstaff

All about radiance and finesse, this iconic Tuscan red has beguiling aromas of cedar, wild red berry, menthol and pipe tobacco that mingle with fragrant blue flowers. Made with 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, the focused, elegantly structured palate is vibrant and savory, delivering cassis, orange zest, licorice and a hint of coffee framed in taut, polished tannins. Bright acidity keeps it energized and balanced. Wine Enthusiast

Star bright raspberry in colour, this has an elegance and a sense of lift right from the start - a beautifully balanced, finessed and classical Sassicaia. The freshly cut and dried herbs of great Italian wines reveals themselves through the slow build up across the palate, along with gentle tobacco and liquorice notes. This is juicy and elegant, showing passion fruit and raspberry with an undertow of complexity. One to savour. Decanter

Beautiful, serene aromas of sweet berries and wild flowers with light lavender and fresh sage. Really aromatic. A firm, silky red with medium to full body and ultra fine tannins that are polished and beautiful. Lots of blue fruit and blackberries follow through to a beautiful finish. Really tight and polished. Bright acidity. Will be lovely to drink in a few years. The 2017 and 2016 were about power, but the 2018 is about finesse and subtlety. James Suckling

This is a classic vintage of an Italian icon now celebrating its 50th vintage. The Tenuta San Guido 2018 Bolgheri Sassicaia lays out a familiar blueprint that borrows from the proven track record of this landmark estate that extends into the hills just beyond the Tyrrhenian shores of Tuscany. This vintage is crystalline and pure in its delivery, and if you are familiar with previous editions, it is impossible to mistake this wine for anything but Sassicaia. Monica Larner

The 2018 Sassicaia is fabulous. Bright and beautifully poised, the 2018 opens with brilliant aromatics that make a strong first impression. Delicate and light on its feet, the 2018 is a regal wine that is going to need a number of years to come into its own. Sassicaia is the most finessed of Bolgheri’s top wines. That is very much the case in 2018 as well. I loved it. Antonio Galloni

Refined and complex, this red is all about finesse and restraint, starting out with floral and black currant flavors that build steadily on the palate, with olive, cedar, tobacco and spice notes adding detail as this lingers on the terrific finish. Needs five to seven years to fully emerge. Wine Spectator

Initially quite scented, then strangely closed a little in the glass. Subtle tones of cedar, vanilla and dried tobacco, with precision of fresh blackcurrant and a hint of black cherry. There’s an underlying graphite and stone/mineral complexity too. Juicy palate – certainly good acidity here – and a comparatively moderate tannic load, both of which work in harmony to structure the wine. The tannins are fine grained, without the somewhat pinched texture I saw in the 2017 vintage, though will nevertheless benefit from a little cellaring to resolve to a silky finesse. At about three-quarter distance there’s just a hint of wateriness, but then the delicate flavour does persist to a very good-length finish. This is certainly Sassicaia in the elegant and subtle mould v 2017’s more powerful iteration. It would be interesting to evaluate these two side by side in a few years. Jancis Robinson