Tasting Notes
Antonio Galloni 97
The 2023 Sassicaia is elegant and supremely polished. Dark, ample and mysterious, the 2023 has much to offer once it opens up a bit. Blackberry, gravel, incense and new leather convey tons of somber intensity. Cabernet Sauvignon speaks quite loudly in the 2023, despite the wine’s midweight structure. Tenuta San Guido s 2023 Sassicaia is one of the wines of the vintage, an accomplishment that is even more impressive given the challenges of the growing season. Early April frost lowered yields in Merlot and Cabernet Franc by about 20%. Rain during flowering and fruit set resulted in loose bunches, perhaps not ideal for production but decidedly positive for air circulation, essential in a year with elevated disease pressure. The 2023 saw as much as 20-25 days on the skins, with the oldest parcels getting the longest vatting times. Malolactic fermentations were intentionally delayed; about 60% of the lots were done in barrel. The 2023 spent five months in used barriques, then 21 months in a combination of 44% new, 40% once-used and 16% twice-used barrels. This is an impressive showing. I can’t wait to see how the 2023 ages.
Anticipated maturity: 2033-2053
Wine Advocate 100
Very few vintages of this legendary Tuscan wine deliver the immediate joy, richness and complexity found in the Tenuta San Guido 2023 Bolgheri Sassicaia. Tasted both before and after its January 2026 bottling, this is a wine that feels uncannily open and generous in its youth, a rare trait for Sassicaia, which is famously inscrutable at this stage. The 2023 vintage was marked by a cold winter and above-average rainfall followed by a severe outbreak of downy mildew that damaged leaves, forcing brutal fruit selection and resulting in a 20% reduction in yields. Only the estates willing to make these sacrifices succeeded, and the best wines rank among the most compelling and elusive of recent years. The blend includes 13% to 14% Cabernet Franc alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, with the Franc playing a decisive phenolic role that reinforces elegance, linearity and brightness. Aromas unfold with wild sage, rosemary and dark fruit before moving into crushed stone minerality, rose petal and a finely spiced spectrum of pink peppercorn, nutmeg, anise, cardamom, bergamot and blood orange, joined by a delicate note of mentuccia romana, sweeter and gentler than classic mint. The palate shows beautiful softness framed by chalky tannins and mineral tension. Its acidity shines bright and guarantees long cellar aging potential. The wine remains fluid and flexible in the glass as different facets of the bouquet emerge. Like the legendary 1985, 2023 was a difficult and stressful vintage shaped by a cold winter, yet it stands as proof that great pressure can indeed give birth to diamonds.
Anticipated maturity: 2027-2060
Matthew Jukes 20+/20
This is not a big wine, nor is it muscular. The extraordinary pedigree of the fruit ensures the flavours are impeccably marshalled, refreshingly linear and extremely formal. This is a sleek, honed, massively complex wine which finishes fresh, clean and uplifting. The tannins are far more toned and expressive than the sourness I found on the tail end of 2024 Guidalberto. There is confidence here, born of decades of experience, and it appears, at least on the surface, to mirror the great 1985, which, coincidentally, had almost identical climatic conditions. In all honesty, I venture even the 1985, if it were being brutally honest, would love to be considered alongside this stellar 2023. I went back to my glass many times, and the overarching theme is that this wine is refined, medium-bodied, truly elegant, and super-long and super-complex. It is a cosmic creation, and I am thrilled it lives up to its promise. After an hour, the energy in the glass was still sensational, and it had not dropped any of its precision, nor had it slumped or careened off in any one direction. This is a phenomenal Sassicaia, and I am eternally grateful that, instead of loading the front of the palate with all the fireworks, it cleverly releases its powers evenly throughout the entire tasting experience, allowing it to seep rhythmically into your senses, filling your taste buds with glorious, unique and memorable flavours.
