2012 Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido, Bolgheri Sassicaia, Tuscany, Italy

2012 Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido, Bolgheri Sassicaia, Tuscany, Italy

Product: 20128008596
Prices start from £235.00 per bottle (75cl). Buying options
2012 Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido, Bolgheri Sassicaia, Tuscany, Italy

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Bottle (75cl)
 x 1
£235.00
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Imperial (600cl)
 x 1
£5,149.00  (£5,149 p/b)
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Description

A new vintage of Sassicaia is always a treat and is never a disappointment. Cool, yet ripe Cabernet fruit provides great promise for the wine to come. On the palate that delicious coolness is there again, but there’s no hint of the hard edge that one might expect from such a cool wine, in fact ripeness of fruit is abundant. It’s more about the restrained sophistication of the style of this wine, incredibly elegant and fine, this is very impressive. All is perfectly in balance; fruit, acidity and fine tannins, nothing dominating. This isn’t a blockbuster of a wine, but if you are looking for something elegant and restrained with real breeding, this classic Sassicaia is for you.

Chris Pollington, Senior Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

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Critics reviews

Antonio Galloni, Vinous94+/100

The 2012 Sassicaia is dark and immediate, with gorgeous up-front richness, density and power. Black cherry jam, cloves and new leather are some of the many signatures that take shape in the glass. The 2012 is an unusually deep, concentrated Sassicaia that is going to need time in bottle to develop the full breadth of its aromas and flavours. Today, it is a bit monolithic, so readers need to be patient.

Drink 2020 - 2037

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (October 2015)

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Jane Anson92/100

Structure and shoulders are a little more obvious here, the colour deepens and widens, and the power is evident right from the first nose. A powerful tannic structure holds the fruit, you can feel the grip and it is clear that even at this age it’s barely out of the starting block. It takes a few minutes to soften and open, and then the liquorice, chocolate and balsamic notes come through, balancing out and deepening the tight spiced fruits.

Jane Anson, Decanter.com (October 2016)

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Jancis Robinson MW17/20

Slightly less concentrated crimson than Ornellaia 2012 with a little shading towards the rim. Very obviously fine-boned claretty Cabernet – so much less ripe than Cornelia! More like San Leonardo. Dry finish. Not at all sweet. Almost defiantly dry and many palates would reproach this for being lean. I like it but there would be some tasters I would not bother to serve it to.

Drink 2016 - 2030

Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (June 2015)

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Wine Advocate92/100

From an early-ripening vintage, the 2012 Bolgheri Sassicaia shows bold lines and thick color concentration. It does exhibit a classic Sassicaia bouquet, but it does so minus that delicate floral embroidery that comes forth with such delight in 2013. This wine shows a harder, more determined edge. It is less remarkable overall, considering the amazing heights achieved in other vintages. It also reveals thin to medium texture. This Sassicaia roars in terms of bouquet, but offers more of a whimper in terms of mouthfeel. All the elements are there, but they are delivered in a more undertone and one-dimensional manner. It will probably flesh out further with more bottle age, but that leanness is just part of the 2012 vintage.

Drink 2018 - 2035

Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (April 2017)

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James Suckling95/100

Lots of lavender, minerals and black currants on the nose. Turns to black berries. Full body, ultra-refined tannins and an exquisite finish. This is all about delicacy, finesse and grace. Yet there is a solid core of ripe tannins giving it backbone and outstanding form. A wonderful surprise.

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (November 2015)

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About this WINE

Tenuta San Guido

Tenuta San Guido

Tenuta San Guido's journey to becoming one of the world's most sought-after fine wines is largely owed to the vision and dedication of Mario Incisa della Rocchetta. The estate's origins trace back to his wife's family, who had owned land in Bolgheri since 1800. The name "Sassicaia," meaning "place of many stones," reflects the gravelly soil reminiscent of the Médoc region in France.

Mario Incisa della Rocchetta planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines on this land and enlisted the expertise of Piero Antinori's winemaker, Giacomo Tachis. Tachis played a pivotal role in shaping Tenuta San Guido's winemaking philosophy and techniques.

In 1968, Tenuta San Guido released its first vintage, which garnered universal acclaim. Over time, it has become recognised as one of the world's finest Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Notably, Tenuta San Guido made history by being the first single wine to be granted its own Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) status.

The wines of Tenuta San Guido are celebrated for their intense notes of cassis, coupled with a cedary elegance, and are renowned for their extraordinary power and length. This combination of factors has solidified Tenuta San Guido's position as a pinnacle of quality and prestige in the world of fine wine.

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Bolgheri

Bolgheri

Bolgheri is a new DOC in the coastal Maremma region which first rose to prominence during the 1970s with the emergence of the so-called Super Tuscan wines like Ornellaia and Sassicaia. These new ventures had rocked the DOC establishment by using high proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon, opting out of the DOC system and relabeling their wines as simply Vino da Tavola (table wine). 

Having won universal acclaim and exchanging hands for unprecedented prices (higher even than Tuscany's finest examples), the authorities relented and awarded Bolgheri its own DOC. The actions of the Super Tuscans inspired a generation in Italy, even if some of the wines here have lost a little of their lustre since.

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Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.

In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.

In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and  Australia.

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