Super Tuscan Wine Tasting Featuring Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Solaia and more… all 20-30 years of age from the 1990’s and 2000’s Saturday May 3rd 7:30pm
“Wine was born, not invented … like an old friend, it continues to surprise us in new and unexpected ways.”
- Dr. Salvatore P. Lucia, quoted in Bottled Wisdom, compiled and edited by Mark Pollman, 1998.
Italy is the birthplace of wine for me but I’m Italian so maybe my heritage had been a bit of an influence on this opinion.
When we hit a subject, we hit it hard at the Wine Bar and we have a few great tastings coming up to continue our study of Tuscan wines. This tasting will feature some of the top wines in the Super Tuscan category. I like the call them the “aia” wines; Sassicaia, Ornellaia and Solaia are three of the most popular of all the Bordeaux style blends in Tuscany but there are a lot of great wines that are not made with the Sangiovese varietal in Tuscany as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are grown mostly on the coast in the Bolgheri region but can be found all over Tuscany today.
I love the wines from the decade of the 1990’s right now and the first decade of the 2000’s are also really drinking beautifully today so we are focusing on these 20-30 year old wines tonight in including all three of the “aia” wines and some other top level Super Tuscans drinking in their prime today.
Chef Toni has a special menu prepared for this tasting and the fee for this event, which includes dinner is $275 + tax. For reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
1990's Super Tuscan Wine Tasting
Featuring Solaia, Sassicaia, Oreno, Guado al Tasso and more..
Saturday, May 3, 2025
7:30 PM
1990 Castellare di Castellina I Sodi di San Niccolo Toscana IGT
1993 Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany, Italy
1995 Castello Di Volpaia Balfico Toscana IGT
1997 Baron Ricasoli Casalferro Magnum Toscana IGT
1998 Antinori Solaia Tuscany Toscana IGT
1999 Guado Al Tasso Tenuta Bolgheri Superiore
2000 Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno Toscana IGT
2001 Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno Toscana IGT
2003 Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno Toscana IGT
2002 Tenuta Sassicaia Bolgheri
Menu
Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie
Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Drizzle
Red Wine Pasta with Pancetta and Parmesan
Sliced Rare NY Sirloin with Red Wine Demi and Sweet Potato Puree
Tiramisu
The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $275 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you.
All the wines in the store from these great producers on SALE!!!
1990 Castellare di Castellina I Sodi di San Niccolo Toscana IGT
Price: $250.00 Sale Price: $195.00 Quantity in Stock: 22
(97 Points) "The 1990 I Sodi di San Niccolo is flat-out great. It boasts tremendous concentration, power and richness. The 1990 can be enjoyed today, but readers who like fully mature wines will want to cellar this for another few years. A blast of dark cherries, flowers and licorice saturates the palate on the huge, building finish. This is a dazzling and marvelously complete wine from Castellare . . . . Since the late 1970s, Panerai has owned Castellare, one of the jewels of Chianti Classico. Castellare isn’t as well known as the trendiest estates in Tuscany, but the wines rarely fail to impress. The last few years have seen a marked increase in quality throughout the range, especially among the entry-level bottlings. Quality has never been an issue with the flagship I Sodi di San Niccolo, one of the true icons of Chianti Classico that remains under the radar. Fortunately for consumers, prices have yet to catch up with quality. Sodi is 85% Sangioveto and 15% Malvasia Nera from a vineyard in the heart of the estate, where the bunches are typically loose and naturally low in vigor. Today Sodi is fermented in stainless steel, then racked into concrete for the malolactic fermentation. The wine is aged 24 months in French oak barrels, roughly 50% new. Consulting oenologist Maurizio Castelli made the first vintages. Current winemaker Alessandro Cellai arrived in 1997. Readers who want to learn more about Castellare and I Sodi di San Niccolo may want to take a look at my recent video interview with Cellai." Wine Advocate #201, Jun 2012
2016 Castellare di Castellina 'I Sodi di San Niccolo' Toscana MAGNUM
Price: $299.00 Sale Price: $249.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(96 Points) This is a true beauty and a wine that makes a lasting impact. I came back to my opened bottle some 24 hours later, and the wine tasted even better. It shows enormous purity and focus, with specific aromas that remind you of its Tuscan origins. Those aromas are very Mediterranean in character with rosemary and crushed lavender, followed by wild cherry, dried raspberry and cassis. The tannins are elegant and finely integrated, and the wine leaves nothing but long, polished sensations behind. This is one of the best vintages of I Sodi di S. Niccolò I have encountered in 20 years. (ML) 96+ Review Date: 03/2021 Wine Advocate
1988 Tenuta Dell Ornellaia Bolgheri
Price: $360.00 Sale Price: $295.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(93 points) This brilliant wine is one of the best new breed Tuscan reds I have tasted. The color is a sensational black/purple and the nose offers gorgeously intense aromas of black plums, cassis, licorice, and spicy new oak. In the mouth, there is extraordinary opulence and richness, enough acidity to provide grip, and plenty of tannin lurking behind the cascade of fruit. The explosive finish goes on and on. Approachable, even delicious now, this splendid wine promises to get even better over the next 4-6 years and possibly last through the first decade of the next century. Impressive! Wine Advocate #82 Aug 1992
1993 Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany, Italy
Price: $425.00 Sale Price: $350.00 Quantity in Stock: 42
(95 Points) Axel Heinz said this was a really good, very classic vintage but overshadowed by 1995 and 1997. It has an iodine minerality on the nose alongside notes of cedar wood and a slightly bretty character. The palate is full-bodied and firm, with thick yet ripe textured tannins, crisp acidity, bright bramble fruit and a cedar wood finish. This Ornellaia is a wine for knowledgeable collectors due to its austerity without any flaw. (AF) Decanter, Review Date: 02/2019
1997 Tenuta Dell Ornellaia Ornellaia Bolgheri Damaged Label Magnum
Price: $395.00 Your Price: $347.60 Quantity in Stock: 1
(95 Points) The 1997 Ornellaia (magnum) is a big, fat wine endowed with tons of fruit. Mocha, coffee beans and ripe, dark fruit emerge from the glass on a rich, opulent frame. The structural elements are easy to overlook, as the tannins are so juicy and ripe, and the fruit is incredibly intense. Simply put, everything is in the right place. Not surprisingly, 1997 is the year Ornellaia introduced their second wine, Le Serre Nuove, and the extra selection that was carried out to produce this wine has paid off big time. The 1997 is also the first Ornellaia in which Merlot is a full 30% of the blend, while Cabernet Sauvignon is 65% and Cabernet Franc is 5%. It is also the first year in which the percentage of new oak is 50%. In many ways, the 1997 is a wine that signals a move towards the more extroverted style that is common here these days. The 1997 Ornellaia, like many wines from Tuscany that year, is marked by a unique growing season that saw an April frost lower yields dramatically, followed by a hot, dry summer which concentrated the remaining fruit to a levels not seen previously. It remains a magnificent example of this Tuscan classic. (AG) Review Date: 01/2010, Wine Advocate
2022 Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove Bolgheri
Price: $86.75 Your Price: $76.34 Quantity in Stock: 8
(93 Points) A smooth red, this evokes cedar, plum, black currant, blackberry, vanilla and resin aromas and flavors. Broad and dense, with accents of leather, earth and tobacco on the long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine Spectator
2021 Tenuta Ornellaia Masseto IGT Tuscany
Price: $1012.50 Your Price: $891.00 Quantity in Stock: 3
(100 Points) The 2021 Masseto is a stunner. It also shows how much the estate has evolved in recent years. I was reminded of that recently when I drank the 2001, considered by many observers, including this one, to be one of the greatest wines ever made here. The 2021 represents a move towards a more refined style. There’s less of the bombastic intensity and extraction that were once the norm here. I remember young vintages that were impossible to taste young. The 2021, on the other hand, is an absolute delight. Crushed flowers, spice, blood orange and bright, red-toned fruit all grace the palate. Floral aromatics and saline underpinnings are at times reminiscent of the Cabernet Franc found in the 2019 and 2020, but the 2021 is back to the classic 100% Merlot. Readers will find a Masseto built on linear energy more than volume. The 2021 is quite simply the most exquisite, refined young Masseto I have ever tasted. Aging was 24 months in 100% new French oak. Vinous
2020 Tenuta Ornellaia Masseto IGT Tuscany
Price: $967.50 Your Price: $851.40 Quantity in Stock: 6
(98 Points) The 2020 Masseto is superb. Bright and vibrant in the glass, the 2020 offers up an exciting mix of dark-toned fruit, mocha, spice, leather, tobacco, cedar and a kiss of French oak. Lively acids and Franc aromatics lend vibrancy throughout. The Franc is so evident today. This is exceptionally polished and sophisticated, albeit a touch slender relative to most years. In 2020, Masseto is more finesse than power. Review Date: N/A, Vinous
2019 Tenuta Ornellaia Masseto IGT Tuscany
Price: $995.00
Your Price: $875.60 Quantity in Stock: 3 (98 points) "This bottle opens a new chapter for one of Italy's most celebrated and collected wines. The first vintage made entirely in its dedicated state-of-the-art winery (and the first vintage with a 10% dabble of Cabernet Franc added to what has historically aways been a pure expression of Merlot), the Masseto 2019 Masseto has two main themes at heart: concentration and elegance. And managing those two seemingly contrasting elements requires a little bit of magic. That's the Masseto magic we look for. The 2019 vintage delivers it in spades with lovely concentrated fruit, blackberry, integrated spice, tobacco, crushed slate, pencil shaving and lots of texture and fiber to push a lasting mouthfeel. The wine's richness translates into density and power to the palate, meanwhile the bouquet reveals fluidity and new sides as the wine opens in the glass. The finish is tapered and focused." Wine Advocate.
2016 Tenuta Dell Ornellaia Masseto Tuscany 3 Liter
Price: $4950.00 Your Price: $4356.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(100 points) Masseto has pulled off back-to-back home runs. This is the first time that an Italian wine has earned 100 points in successive vintages. The 2016 Masseto is a thunderstorm of emotions, but it manages to keep them under perfect control. Like the 2015 Masseto before it, this vintage is a seamless wine of the highest pedigree. It represents an encore performance, continuing the string of successes that is bringing Italy to the forefront of the wine world. The first thing you'll notice is the thickness and concentration of the fruit that makes an immediate impact on all the senses, in terms of appearance, aroma and mouthfeel. There is no overstating the sheer power and richness of this iconic vintage of Italy's groundbreaking Merlot. Despite that considerable mass, this Masseto remains delicate and graceful. You gain better perspective as the wine opens in the glass and reveals deeper layers that were not immediately apparent on first nose: dark fruit, spice, sweet tobacco and black cherry. There is great tightness and laser focus to the fruit. I tasted the 2016 and 2015 vintages together for comparison when I scored this wine, and then I tasted this 2016 edition alone about a month later to confirm my impressions. These vintages are identical twins, two perfect wines. (ML) (4/2019) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
1998 Tenuta Ornellaia Masseto Tuscany MAGNUM
Price: $3655.00 Sale Price: $3109.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
(97 Points) The 1998 is even better. It shares much of the richness of the 1997, but with more delineation and nuance. The wine blossoms beautifully on the mid-palate and finish, with layers of expressive fruit and fabulous overall balance. This is a stunning Masseto. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2018. Wine Advocate, In The Cellar Nov 2011
1997 Castello di Volpaia Balifico Toscana Magnum
Price: $125.00 Your Price: $110.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
Balifico, mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon for Volpaia’s Supertuscan.
The first Supertuscans were created in the 1970s by Chianti Classico producers who rejected a restrictive government regulation that dictated which grapes were required to go into wines labeled as from the region.
As such, to identify those with superior quality, the international press informally introduced the term: Supertuscan. Nevertheless these high quality wines were soon acclaimed by the International press as Supertuscans. (94 Points Wine Spectator)
2003 Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno
Price: $135.00 Your Price: $118.80 Quantity in Stock: 1
(95 Points) Breathtaking. Dense and powerful, with grilled meat and currant aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, round and chewy; a massive and exciting wine. More muscular than the 2001. *Highly Recommended, Ranked #5 of Top 100 Wines of 2005* (JS) Review Date: 10/2005, Wine Spectator
2001 Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno Toscana IGT
Price: $175.00 Sale Price: $145.00 Quantity in Stock: 30
(93 Points) Floral and captivating showing notes of violets, black prunes, pressed red flowers and wild strawberries. In the background dates and dried figs describe the secondary scene. Full bodied, biting tannins which hide character and a fresh finale with a balsamic aftertaste. Raffaele Vecchione - WinesCritic.com
2000 Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno Toscana IGT
Price: $140.00 Sale Price: $115.00 Quantity in Stock: 39
(92 Points) Refined red. Dark-colored, showing intense aromas of crushed fruit, toasted oak and dried flowers. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a long, caressing finish. (JS) Review Date: 10/2002, Wine Spectator
2021 Antinori Solaia Tuscany
Price: $457.50 Your Price: $402.60
(100 Points) Antinori's 2021 Solaia is another wine that captures all of the potential I sensed when I tasted it some months ago. More than anything else, the 2021 is a fine example of the style Antinori favors these days, an approach that favors finesse more than opulence. Dark plum, mocha, licorice, chocolate, spice, lavender and menthol build effortlessly in the glass. Oak and tannin are impeccably balanced. The 2021 spent 18 months in wood, three months in once-used barrels during the malolactic fermentation and then 15 months in 100% new barrels for the rest of its aging. (AG) Review Date: 06/2024, Vinous
2020 Antinori Solaia Tuscany 3 Liter
Price: $2400.00 Your Price: $2112.00
2020 Antinori Solaia Tuscany Magnum
Price: $1108.50 Your Price: $975.48
2020 Antinori Solaia Tuscany
Price: $457.50 Your Price: $402.60
(97 Points) Dripping with black currant, blackberry, black cherry, iron and toasty oak flavors, this red is suave and polished. Features flashes of tobacco and wild herbs that add even more detail as this builds to a long, kaleidoscopic finish. Presents civilized tannins that are well-integrated and provide structure. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc. Wine Spectator
2021 Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Magnum
Price: $396.00 Your Price: $348.48
2021 Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri
Price: $179.00 Your Price: $157.52
(98 Points) The 2021 Bolgheri Superiore Guado al Tasso is a very beautiful wine, but also quite a departure from the style that made it famous years ago. Readers will find an especially polished Guado al Tasso, a wine that emphasizes finesse more than power. Silky tannins wrap around a core of black cherry fruit, licorice, spice, mocha and new leather. Bright, saline undertones extend the exquisite finish. There's more Cabernet Franc in the blend these days, and that very much comes through in the wine's crazy aromatic presence and feel. The 2021 spent 16 months in wood, three months in used French oak barrels during the malolactic fermentation and then 14 months in barrel (80% new) for the rest of its aging. Gorgeous. Vinous