2018 Tenuta San Guido - Angry Wine Merchant 2018 Tenuta San Guido - Angry Wine Merchant 2018 Tenuta San Guido - Angry Wine Merchant 2018 Tenuta San Guido - Angry Wine Merchant
2018 Tenuta San Guido - Angry Wine Merchant
2018 Tenuta San Guido - Angry Wine Merchant
2018 Tenuta San Guido - Angry Wine Merchant
2018 Tenuta San Guido - Angry Wine Merchant

2020 Sassicaia

Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Franc

Italy / Tuscany / Bolgheri / DOC Bolgheri Sassicaia

$635
JD 97
RP 96
V 97
Size:
Quantity:

Availability: 3

2020 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy

SOIL STYLE
The soils have varied and complex features with strong presence of limestone, areas rich in marl and pebbles, as well as partially clay. They are situated at an altitude between 100 and 400 meters above sea level, with a West, South-West.

WEATHER TRENDS
The autumn was humid with abundant rains that occurred from mid-October and lasted until the end of December. Temperatures were quite mild and, at times, even above the seasonal average. Intense cold has arrived in February with temperatures that have dropped approaching 0°C. March began with strong sea winds and rains but with mild temperatures which contributed to the enlargement of the buds, especially of the early varieties such as Merlot. At the end of March, a perturbation from Russia brought about a marked drop in temperatures with north winds and even some freezing at night. This weather condition did not cause damage to the Cabernet Sauvignon vines as it is a late grape variety, while in some Cabernet Franc plants there was some gem selection, causing the vegetative development on the secondary buds. April and May were mild with alternating sunny days and average seasonal temperatures with rainy days and cooler air. A somewhat unusual spring which did not cause damage to the vines but led them to more vegetation and production during the spring. Agronomists had to pay greater attention and planned several interventions by the agricultural workforce to reduce the exceeding production of the plants After mid-June, the climate recovered, bringing sunny and warm days that continued until harvest time, except for some interruptions with precipitations in July and in August, to the benefit of the plants. The ripening of the grapes took place about 7-8 days earlier than normal and the beautiful sunny days prompted the grapes to reach full ripeness quickly. The grapes, although with a higher sugar content, arrived in the cellar healthy and of excellent quality, with adequate phenolic ripeness.

HARVESTING
The manual harvest began in the first week of September with the grapes from the younger vineyards starting from the Cabernet Franc and then continued with the Cabernet Sauvignon from the vineyards located at lower altitudes, ending in the last week of September with those on the hills located over 300 meters above sea level (Vigna di Castiglioncello and Vigna del Quercione).

FERMENTATION
Selection of the grapes through a sorting table, to eliminate impurities and any presence of imperfections. Soft pressing and delicate destemming of the grapes, maintaining the integrity of the berries and avoiding excessive transfer of tannins. The alcoholic fermentation (completely spontaneous and without the addition of external yeasts) was concluded by the end of October and carried out regularly and at controlled temperatures not exceeding 27-28 °C. Frequent delestages and pumping over allowed for excellent aromatic extraction and freshness in terms of acidity of the musts. The malolactic fermentations took place in steel, at the end of November. In the first week of December, after frequent decanting to clean the musts, the wine was placed in oak barriques.

AGEING
At the end of the malolactic fermentation, the wine was placed in barriques using 45% new wood, 45% first passage and 10% second passage. Sassicaia 2020, after more than 25 months of aging in wood, was decanted into steel tanks before the final blending and then bottling. Subsequent refinement in the bottle before release on the market.



    JD 97

    Jeb Dunnuck

    Pure red with a garnet hue, the 2020 Sassicaia is stunning, with fantastic, elegantly layered aromas of black raspberry liqueur, macchia, fresh leather, and fresh lavender. Full-bodied with clean lift, it reveals a more luxurious and polished texture with a velvety feel, a long finish, and a touch of warming richness. As it opens, it reveals notes of mocha and Amarena cherry and becomes distilled and pure with wonderful sweetness of fruit, although it’s fully dry. It has a great finish and is very appealing throughout. Drink 2025-2055. Reviewed by Audrey Frick, Issue date: January 2023. Drinking window: 2025 - 2055.
    RP 96

    Robert Parker Wine Advocate

    The Tenuta San Guido 2020 Bolgheri Sassicaia speaks to those who seek a more voluptuous, opulent and, ultimately, more accessible wine. This vintage is a precise reflection of Coastal Tuscany, as opposed to a more generic "Tuscan" wine from elsewhere in this large central Italian region. You taste the ripeness and soft fruit weight that comes from a coastal appellation with especially bright luminosity and warm Mediterranean offshore breezes. Sassicaia from the cool vintages is a famously reticent or withholding wine in its earliest years, requiring a long lead time before it eases into an ideal drinking window. That's definitely not the case here. This wine is beautiful and compelling straight out of the gate, showing a lovely mix of dark fruit, oak spice, balanced freshness, textural richness, soft tannins and an expertly contained 14% alcohol content. The wine's immediate character is what distinguishes this vintage, and I wouldn't get too fussed by exaggerated cellar-aging ambitions. The wine awards sheer pleasure in its current form, with dazzling primary fruit and soaring intensity over the near and medium term. Reviewed by Monica Larner, Issue date: January 2023. Drinking window: 2024 - 2042.
    V 97

    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. Reviewed by Antonio Galloni, Issue date: August 2023. Drinking window: 2028 - 2050.

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    PACKAGING: Our premium wines need optimal temperature consistency, therefore are packaged in EPS foam shippers with gel pack (when needed) and shipped only during ideal weather temperatures.

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    WEATHER HOLD: In adverse temperature conditions, we reserve the right to withhold shipment until ideal temperatures return unless we receive explicit instructions via email to release the wines, voiding any guarantee. We will contact you if a hold is necessary.

    FULFILLMENT: Shipments are via UPS.

    • Orders received Monday - Thursday before 2:00 p.m. will typically ship the same day.
    • Orders received Thursday 2:00 p.m. ~ Sunday will ship on Monday.

    DELIVERY:

    • Same Day service within Los Angeles Metro area may be available if order is placed before noon, but not guaranteed. Please contact us directly at (626)714-7006 to facilitate expedited service.
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    Adult Signature: By law, all shipments of alcohol must be received and authorized by an adult. Our delivery carriers will not release packages without an adult signature and additional charges may be incurred if the package requires withholding or redirection.

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    • CRITICAL REVIEWS
    • WINEMAKER NOTES
    JD 97

    Jeb Dunnuck

    Pure red with a garnet hue, the 2020 Sassicaia is stunning, with fantastic, elegantly layered aromas of black raspberry liqueur, macchia, fresh leather, and fresh lavender. Full-bodied with clean lift, it reveals a more luxurious and polished texture with a velvety feel, a long finish, and a touch of warming richness. As it opens, it reveals notes of mocha and Amarena cherry and becomes distilled and pure with wonderful sweetness of fruit, although it’s fully dry. It has a great finish and is very appealing throughout. Drink 2025-2055. Reviewed by Audrey Frick, Issue date: January 2023. Drinking window: 2025 - 2055.
    RP 96

    Robert Parker Wine Advocate

    The Tenuta San Guido 2020 Bolgheri Sassicaia speaks to those who seek a more voluptuous, opulent and, ultimately, more accessible wine. This vintage is a precise reflection of Coastal Tuscany, as opposed to a more generic "Tuscan" wine from elsewhere in this large central Italian region. You taste the ripeness and soft fruit weight that comes from a coastal appellation with especially bright luminosity and warm Mediterranean offshore breezes. Sassicaia from the cool vintages is a famously reticent or withholding wine in its earliest years, requiring a long lead time before it eases into an ideal drinking window. That's definitely not the case here. This wine is beautiful and compelling straight out of the gate, showing a lovely mix of dark fruit, oak spice, balanced freshness, textural richness, soft tannins and an expertly contained 14% alcohol content. The wine's immediate character is what distinguishes this vintage, and I wouldn't get too fussed by exaggerated cellar-aging ambitions. The wine awards sheer pleasure in its current form, with dazzling primary fruit and soaring intensity over the near and medium term. Reviewed by Monica Larner, Issue date: January 2023. Drinking window: 2024 - 2042.
    V 97

    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. Reviewed by Antonio Galloni, Issue date: August 2023. Drinking window: 2028 - 2050.

    2020 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy

    SOIL STYLE
    The soils have varied and complex features with strong presence of limestone, areas rich in marl and pebbles, as well as partially clay. They are situated at an altitude between 100 and 400 meters above sea level, with a West, South-West.

    WEATHER TRENDS
    The autumn was humid with abundant rains that occurred from mid-October and lasted until the end of December. Temperatures were quite mild and, at times, even above the seasonal average. Intense cold has arrived in February with temperatures that have dropped approaching 0°C. March began with strong sea winds and rains but with mild temperatures which contributed to the enlargement of the buds, especially of the early varieties such as Merlot. At the end of March, a perturbation from Russia brought about a marked drop in temperatures with north winds and even some freezing at night. This weather condition did not cause damage to the Cabernet Sauvignon vines as it is a late grape variety, while in some Cabernet Franc plants there was some gem selection, causing the vegetative development on the secondary buds. April and May were mild with alternating sunny days and average seasonal temperatures with rainy days and cooler air. A somewhat unusual spring which did not cause damage to the vines but led them to more vegetation and production during the spring. Agronomists had to pay greater attention and planned several interventions by the agricultural workforce to reduce the exceeding production of the plants After mid-June, the climate recovered, bringing sunny and warm days that continued until harvest time, except for some interruptions with precipitations in July and in August, to the benefit of the plants. The ripening of the grapes took place about 7-8 days earlier than normal and the beautiful sunny days prompted the grapes to reach full ripeness quickly. The grapes, although with a higher sugar content, arrived in the cellar healthy and of excellent quality, with adequate phenolic ripeness.

    HARVESTING
    The manual harvest began in the first week of September with the grapes from the younger vineyards starting from the Cabernet Franc and then continued with the Cabernet Sauvignon from the vineyards located at lower altitudes, ending in the last week of September with those on the hills located over 300 meters above sea level (Vigna di Castiglioncello and Vigna del Quercione).

    FERMENTATION
    Selection of the grapes through a sorting table, to eliminate impurities and any presence of imperfections. Soft pressing and delicate destemming of the grapes, maintaining the integrity of the berries and avoiding excessive transfer of tannins. The alcoholic fermentation (completely spontaneous and without the addition of external yeasts) was concluded by the end of October and carried out regularly and at controlled temperatures not exceeding 27-28 °C. Frequent delestages and pumping over allowed for excellent aromatic extraction and freshness in terms of acidity of the musts. The malolactic fermentations took place in steel, at the end of November. In the first week of December, after frequent decanting to clean the musts, the wine was placed in oak barriques.

    AGEING
    At the end of the malolactic fermentation, the wine was placed in barriques using 45% new wood, 45% first passage and 10% second passage. Sassicaia 2020, after more than 25 months of aging in wood, was decanted into steel tanks before the final blending and then bottling. Subsequent refinement in the bottle before release on the market.



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