San Guido - Sassicaia 2009

Sassicaia: Der italienische Wein, der während des Zweiten Weltkriegs aus dem Mangel an französischen Weinen entstanden ist, hat mittlerweile weltweite Bekanntheit erlangt. Im Jahr 1944 beschloss der Visionär Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, auf einem steinigen Hang seiner Tenuta San Guido in Bolgheri, etwa zehn Kilometer von der Küste entfernt, Weinreben der französischen Sorten Cabernet Sauvignon und Cabernet Franc anzupflanzen. Der Wein erhielt seinen Namen von der Lage, die aufgrund des steinigen Bodens den Namen "Sassicaia" erhielt.Anfangs wurde der Sassicaia nur von Familienmitgliedern und Freunden verkostet. Erst auf Drängen seines Sohnes Nicolò und seines Neffen Marchese Piero Antinori entschloss sich Incisa della Rocchetta, den Wein zu vermarkten. So kamen in den frühen 1970er Jahren die ersten 4000 Flaschen des Jahrgangs 1968 auf den Markt.Der Sassicaia - für Italien untypische, dichte bis massive Rotwein - begann langsam seinen Siegeszug. Für lange Zeit wurde er nur als Vino da Tavola (Tafelwein) eingestuft, da französische Rebsorten in Italien bei Qualitätsweinen (DOC) nicht erlaubt waren. Das Jahrzehnt des Durchbruchs war für Sassicaia das der 1980er Jahre. Der Sassicaia 1985 erhielt als erster italienischer Wein überhaupt von Robert Parker 100 Punkte. Anschliessend konnten weitere großartige Jahrgänge gekeltert werden, zum Beispiel 1988 und 1990. Der Erfolg und Ruhm dies Sassicaia war so groß, dass die Behörden beschlossen, 1994 eine eigene DOC (Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC) zu schaffen. Der Sassicaia ist damit der einzige Wein Italiens mit einer eigenen DOC. Mit der Festlegung der DOC sind die Anbaugrenzen beispielsweise ein Mindestanteil von 80% für den Cabernet Sauvignon vorgeschrieben. Bis heute enthält der Sassicaia keinen Merlot, sondern nur etwa 15% Cabernet Franc. Da die Anbaufläche nicht erweitert werden kann. ist die Weinmenge auf etwas mehr als 200.000 Flaschen begrenzt. Man könnte meinen, dass dies ausreicht. Jedoch reicht dies nicht aus, um die enorme weltweite Nachfrage zu befriedigen.

Bright full ruby. Pure, perfumed aromas of blackberry, cassis, lead pencil, violet and minerals, complicated by a superripe note of crushed raspberry. Extremely primary and pure, offering sharply defined cassis, violet and mineral flavors of great class. The perfectly integrated acidity and a vibrant floral character from the cabernet franc give the middle palate terrific lift. Though very ripe in its flavor profile, this wine conveys a rare lightness of touch that is typical of Sassicaia but rare for this vintage on the Tuscan Coast. Finishes with noble tannins and outstanding palate-staining length. For all its creamy power and charm, I really like this wine's balance and the subtle delivery of its complex flavors. I have tasted every vintage of Sassicaia on countless occasions and, other than the legendary 1985, I have no doubt that this is one of the two or three best Sassicaias at a similar stage of development. Though the 2009 won't surpass the once-in-a-lifetime 1985, it is starting out its life in bottle with almost the same perfectly balanced, opulent creamy texture and depth of that incredible wine, which I remembertasting both in Rome and in Tuscanyimmediately upon release. In fact, that wine was so good that even thoughI was still auniversity student (and thus on a studentbudget), it was the firsttime in my lifeI ever bought a full case. If I were a university student today, I'd do the same with the 2009, even though the price of Sassicaia is far higher today. There's profound potential here, but younger wine writers and consumers who weren't seriously involved in tasting back in the '80s may well be surprised by this wine's voluptuous, atypically opulent texture and thus miss its sheer greatness. 97+/100 (09.2012)

The 2009 Bolgheri Sassicaia is the richest and darkest edition in recent memory. This super-charged Sassicaia boasts enormous power and concentration thanks to its impressive phenolic foundation. Black currant and blackberry confit are followed by spice, leather, tar, road paving and black truffle. It shows preliminary tertiary signs with licorice and crushed mineral. The wine wraps thickly over the palate delivering tight textural firmness and integrated structure. You taste the sweetness of the fruit and the depth of the oak tannins. No matter how you approach it, this wine scores very high on the intensity meter. For the record: Tenuta San Guido General Manager Carlo Paoli expressed concern about the integrity of his sample, but I remained extremely pleased by the gorgeous wine before me. 96+/100 (04.2017)

 

Rich and silky, the 2009 Bolgheri Sassicaia offers a powerful rendition of this celebrated wine from coastal Tuscany. The wine opens to dark color saturation and thick aromatic layering that reveals a solid core of black fruit. That fruit is well preserved in terms of its freshness and overall integrity. It will serve the wine well as it evolves over the next two decades. Beyond those dark fruit nuances are delicate embellishments of spice, licorice and balsam herb that add to the wine's evident complexity. In terms of its overall richness, the 2009 vintage of Bolgheri Sassicaia can be compared to 2013, 2011 and 2004. 96/100 (07.2016)

 

Showing a heavier gait, the 2009 Bolgheri Sassicaia is a bold and determined wine that boasts rich extraction and a substantial phenolic base. I’m told that this is one of the richest expressions ever produced and it definitely shows. Brooding and muscular, this Sassicaia reveals broad shoulders and deep footprints. On the nose, it offers heavy aromas of dark fruit, plum, blackberry, leather, spice, tobacco and grilled herb. At the back are tarry notes of resin and smoke. This vintage saw a stunning set of ideal conditions ranging from a humid spring that built water reserves, a hot summer that kept ripening on track and a cool pre-harvest period with deep shifts between day and nighttime temperatures for pronounced aromas. The wine shows substantial richness and opulence with well-managed tannins and pretty bursts of freshness. There is still a lot of life left within to carry it forward throughout the years. 95/100 (06.2015)