Tenuta San Guido
Sassicaia 2020

Robert Parker Wine Advocate:

The Tenuta San Guido 2020 Bolgheri Sassicaia needs extra time to open, gradually blossoming to reveal a pretty range of tonic, taut fruit tones. The wine initially shows a bright, malic character that contributes to its early sharpness, before shifting across the aromatic spectrum as it expands to reveal a more open or oxidative note, ultimately lending this vintage a sense of immediacy. The palate closes with good fruit weight and dry spice carried on the tannins. Reminiscent of the approachable 2015 vintage, this edition may not have the cellaring potential of 2016 or 2019. Drink Date 2025-2045. Rating 94/100. -Monica Larner-

Vinous:

The 2020 Sassicaia is a bold, rapturous wine. Dark, fleshy and expansive on the palate, the 2020 offers up scents of blackberry jam, gravel, spice, new leather, licorice and crème de cassis. Potent tannins are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. Sassicaia is never a huge wine, the 2020 does seem to have an extra dimension of textural intensity. It's an intensity that is hugely appealing.

Estate Manager Carlo Paoli describes 2020 as a year with a long, rainy winter and a cold spring. "Temperatures warmed up in the middle of June," he explained. "July was very hot, but heat moderated in August. Even so, it was a year in which ripeness moved quickly, as opposed to 2021 when ripeness was more gradual. We picked the entire estate in 22 days instead of the 29-30 that is more typical." The 2020 spent 15-18 days on the skins, followed by 25 months in French oak, 50% new. Production is down about 30% because of selection in the vineyard. Drink Date 2028-2050. Rating 97/100. -Antonio Galloni-

James Suckling:

A very perfumed Sassicaia on the nose with forest floor, citrus and deep dark fruits. Blackcurrants. Cedar and black tea. Some balsamic. Pine needles. Full and very succulent. Really long, structured and complete. Tangy and energetic with a linear line of fresh tannins and acidity. Very Sassicaia throughout. 85% cabernet sauvignon and the rest is cabernet franc. Very attractive now in a youthful and vibrant way, but this will be better in three to four years. Try after 2027. Rating 97/100. -James Suckling-

Jancis Robinson:

Full bottle 1,370 g. The prototype Maremma bordeaux blend, Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc in this case. Canopy was especially vigorous in spring and needed trimming, followed by a warm summer with occasional showers that meant the grapes ripened more than a week earlier than usual and, to retain Sassicaia's trademark freshness, harvest started in the first week of September and ended in the last week of September with vines on the hills at over 300 m (Vigna di Castiglioncello and Vigna del Quercione). The wine was matured for 25 months in 45% new French oak barrels before going into tank for selection and blending.
Mid crimson; easy to see the bottom of the glass. Intense nose with a hint of iodine. Great tanginess that seems more Tuscan than bordelais. Long and really builds towards its ample finish. Bone dry. Embryonic but convincing that a fine future lies ahead. Subtle rather than flashy. I wouldn't guess it was as much as 14%. I aerated it and gave it an hour in a young-wine decanter, and it was already a delight to drink. With more immediate appeal than many earlier vintages. Rating 18/20. -Jancis Robinson- 

falstaff.com:

Funkelndes Rubin mit leicht aufhellendem Rand. Präzise und einladende Nase mit Noten nach Cassis und Brombeere, dahinter viel Tabak, etwas Rauch und Zedernholz. Saftige, viel frische Frucht am Gaumen, schönes Spiel von dunklen Kirschen und Johannisbeeren, feinmaschiges Tannin mit festem Grip, im Finale satter Druck, könnte sich als Langläufer entpuppen. Bewertung 97/100. -falstaff.com, Othmar Kiem & Simon Staffler-