Sassicaia Vertical Tasting back to 1978 with Special Guest Dr. Robert Maliner

Strategy is buying a bottle of fine wine when you take a lady out for dinner. Tactics is getting her to drink it.
Frank Muir

I have no problem getting people to drink Sassicaia and when Dr. Robert Maliner sent me this incredible list of older vintage Sassicaia going back to the 1978 vintage I booked the first date available to drink it with him.  Of course, we are willing to share after all that is what makes drinking wine an experience and there is no better experience than sharing 12 vintages of a wine like Sassicaia with 12 friends.

We are bringing people together every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights here at the Wine Bar for some exceptional wines.  We are at around 25% capacity to make everyone feel safe and give them enough room to social distance while enjoying some of the world’s greatest wines.  We also have a table set up in the Wine Cave on these three nights and will take a reservation for 6-15 people for a private dinner.

We will take up to 15 people but will accept as few as 6 for a curated dinner by Chef Toni.  We must know in advance what food items you want so you will have to coordinate the menu with Toni ahead of time but she can put together any of your favorites from past Wine Bar menus or whatever you want if she has enough notice. The best thing about this table is the view of the wine, we have the largest selection of vintage wine in South Florida and everything is available at a retail price!!  You may want to bring a sweater it is 64 degrees in the wine cave.

Back to the Sassicaia vertical tasting back to the 1978 vintage including the epic 1985 which was the first Italian wine to receive a perfect 100 point score from Robert Parker Jr.’s Wine Advocate!  This wine sells for over $2000 a bottle today but the price of this tasting including 12 vintages of Sassicaia is only $650 + tax and this includes dinner!  For reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail me at andy@winewatch.com.  Life is short- “Drink the good stuff first” !

Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Vertical Tasting back to 1978
With Special Guest Dr. Bob Maliner
Friday, September 4th 2020
7:30 PM
2007 Tenuta San Guido La Difese
2004 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
2001 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
1999 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
1998 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
1995 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
1990 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
1989 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
1988 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
1985 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
1979 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
1978 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia

Menu
Cheese and Charcuterie Selection
Tuna Carpaccio with Harpke Farms Micro Greens and Tuscan Herb Aioli
Tagliolini Pasta with Mushroom Parmesan Cream Sauce and Garlic Crunchy Toasty
Berkshire Pork Loin wrapped in Speck over Black Bean Puree and Roasted Pepper Salsa
Chocolate Hazelnut Torte with Black Raspberry Coulis

The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $650 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

A History of Tenuta San Guido
At the point where the Via Aurelia meets the Viale di Bolgheri is a circle of cypresses surrounding the obelisk that Giuseppe della Gherardesca erected for Nobel prize winner Giosuè Carducci. Beyond the obelisk is the church of San Guido, built by Simone Maria della Gherardesca at the beginning of the 18th Century that lends its name to the Sassicaia estate. The Viale di Bolgheri is lined with cypresses, and runs through the heart of the Tenuta San Guido estate to the castle and village center of Bolgheri.
Tenuta San Guido is an estate of about 2500 hectares, whose most important feature is its diversity of purpose. Less than one fortieth of its surface is devoted to winemaking, while two-thirds of the total is woodland.  One hundred and fifty hectares comprise the Dormello-Olgiata thoroughbred training center, and the remaining six hundred and fifty hectares are cultivated with cereals or olive groves, used as pasture for horses and livestock or are part of Italy’s first private bird sanctuary – the Oasi of Bolgheri.
The estate rises from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the hills behind the castle of Castiglioncello, at a height of 396 meters – more than one thousand feet above sea level. This altitude makes for a very striking landscape, as well as a fabulous microclimate.  The vineyard was established in 1942 and there were some 62 original acres planted, some of the vines face north-south, some of them face west and are planted at an average altitude of 295 feet above sea level. 
As a student in Pisa during the 1920's, the Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta dreamed of creating a "noble" wine. Like most of Italian aristocracy at the time, his taste in wine ran strongly to fine Bordeaux.  After settling with his wife, Clarice, into their Tuscan estate at Tenuta San Guido on the Mediterranean Coast, he experimented with several French grape varieties and concluded, “the bouquet I was looking for” was found in the Cabernet.
 A wine that had Cabernet Sauvignon as its primary component represented a radical shift from the traditional Tuscan and Piedmontese varietals of Sangiovese and Nebbiolo.  No one had ever considered making a wine crafted along Bordeaux lines on Italian soil, much less in a region not yet established viticulturally.  In addition to the Cabernet’s satisfactory bouquet, the Marquis’ decision to plant this grape variety at Tenuta San Guido was influenced by the Tuscan location’s similarity to Graves in Bordeaux. “Graves” means “gravel” in French, and similarly, the earth at Tenuta San Guido gave Sassicaia its name, which in the Tuscan dialect means “stony ground”.   However, accustomed to the light, local wines, consumers did not respond well to the first vintages of Sassicaia. Wines made from the more complex Cabernet Sauvignon grapes take more time to mature and develop. Subsequently, from 1948 to 1960, Sassicaia was consumed only at the estate.
Each year, a small number of cases were laid down in the cellars of Castiglioncello.  The Marquis discovered that as the years went by, the wine greatly improved.  As is often the case with wines of great pedigree, those things originally considered defects turned into virtues over time.  Soon, friends and relatives were urging him to pursue his passion and to perfect his revolutionary style of winemaking.  In 1965, he planted two more vineyards comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc; the new “Sassicaia” vineyard was situated approximately 800 feet lower than the original Cabernet vineyard near Castiglioncello, and “Aianova” was slightly more elevated and thus exposed to the weather. Eventually, all of the wine produced on the estate came to be known by the name of Sassicaia. 
The 1968 vintage of Sassicaia was the first to be offered on the open market, and it was as well received as the Premier Crus from Bordeaux. In subsequent years the cellars were moved to temperature-controlled quarters, wood fermentation vats were replaced with stainless steel ones, and French oak barriques were used for the ageing process.
The Marquis’ use of Cabernet grapes and his implementation of the barriques aging process soon spread throughout Italy.  Sassicaia was the first Italian wine to successfully establish itself abroad and is almost universally recognized as the father of the new Italian wine family or simply the Super Tuscan Pioneer. Mario Incisa della Rocchetta’s planting is now considered the birthplace of Italian Cabernet.  The marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta passed away in 1983. His son, Marquis Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta, now oversees all estate operations.
         
Wines from Tenuta San Guido Available at Wine Watch:

2018 Tenuta San Guido Le Difese Toscana
Price: $34.50       Your Price: $30.36

They make three red wines at Tenuta San Guido and this is the entry level wine which is a Blend of 70 % Cabernet Sauvignon and 30 % Sangiovese.  The 2018 Tenuta San Guido Le Difese Toscana is distinguished by a good structure and is extremely supple, making it very pleasant and easy to drink.

2018 Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto Bolgheri
Price: $50.25       Your Price: $44.22            Quantity in Stock: 34

(93 Points) The 2018 Guidalberto, tasted from an approximate blend from barrel, is positively stellar. I can only hope that the bottled wine is as fresh, vibrant and nuanced as this sample. A rush of black cherry, plum, spice, leather and licorice graces the 2018 with striking depth and nuance. Light on its feet and deep, the 2018 has a lot to offer. In many years, Guidalberto can be a rather rich wine, but in 2018 it is very closely aligned with the house style.  Vinous

2017 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri
Price: $247.50    Your Price: $217.80

(95 Points) A taut, densely wrought red, with black currant, black cherry, iron, wild herb and spice flavors matched to the elegant frame and restrained character. Balanced and long, this has a distinctly Old World feel and looks set to unravel its complex facets slowly. Terrific length. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2043.  Wine Spectator

2015 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri MAGNUM
Price: $1125.00  Your Price: $990.00          Quantity in Stock: 1
2015 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri
Price: $525.00    Your Price: $462.00          Quantity in Stock: 3

(97 Points)  Having followed this wine's evolution in barrel for the past few years, it is an honor to evaluate the final product. This Sassicaia has blossomed since my previous encounters with it as a young, awkward adolescent. The long-awaited 2015 Bolgheri Sassicaia represents a tremendous effort that comes together with seamless precision and focus. This is a confident and proud red wine from Tuscany. Starting with the primary material at hand, you sense the quality of fruit thanks to the wine's beautifully dark appearance and the rich texture it offers to the palate. The acidity is integrated, but more freshness still would have been welcomed in my view (and would also contribute to its longevity). The bouquet is amplified both in terms of volume and length. Its playlist includes dark berry fruit, spice, leather, licorice and roasted coffee bean. Yet, the mouthfeel is extremely graceful and silky. The wine's undisputed pedigree is showcased on the palate. It should also be noted that this edition of Sassicaia feels more ready and open to me. It will age and evolve beautifully, but the 2015 Sassicaia can also be enjoyed in the medium-term. This wine is all about the here and now. - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate