Stella Sassicaia (3): After the watershed year

by Daniele Cernilli 05/26/16 |

Today we look at the vintages that followed the ‘legendary’ 1985 Sassicaia that was praised the world over. While this may not have been the absolute best vintage for me, it is undoubtedly the one that placed Sassicaia among the very best wines in the world, a place it has maintained ever since.

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Product	Producer	Date of publication	Author	Read
Sassicaia 1999 Bolgheri Sassicaia	Tenuta San Guido	05/26/16	Daniele Cernilli	Another excellent year, perhaps a bit warmer than the 2000. The ruby-garnet color has a good intensity and the aromas are ethereal and wrapping with notes of red fruit preserved in spirits, tamarind... Leggi tutto
Sassicaia 1998 Bolgheri Sassicaia	Tenuta San Guido	04/13/17	Vinogodi	Italy’s pride and joy. The red color is still lively and intact and the electrifying aromas are of Marasca cherry and red fruit, with some lovely spices and licorice. The mouthfeel has... Leggi tutto
Sassicaia 1997 Bolgheri Sassicaia	Tenuta San Guido	05/26/16	Daniele Cernilli	A hot and somewhat dry growing season produced a bold, rich Sassicaia that seemed like a lesser 1988. It has an intense, ruby-garnet color and ethereal, wrapping and slightly evolved aromas with... Leggi tutto
Sassicaia 1996 Bolgheri Sassicaia	Tenuta San Guido	05/26/16	Daniele Cernilli	A ‘small’ vintage due to rain during harvest. This Sassicaia is lithe but has an excellent elegance, similar in a way to a Burgundy, mutatis mutandis. The ruby-garnet color is bright but... Leggi tutto
Sassicaia 1995 Bolgheri Sassicaia	Tenuta San Guido	05/26/16	Daniele Cernilli	A late year with grapes ripening after August 15 and harvest postponed to early October. The wine has a bright and intense ruby color and incredibly lively aromas that are balsamic and full with... Leggi tutto
Sassicaia 1994 Bolgheri Sassicaia	Tenuta San Guido	05/26/16	Daniele Cernilli	This was the first vintage to have the DOC classification and was the product of an average growing season with rain at the end of harvest. It is a good version but not an outstanding one. The color... Leggi tutto
Sassicaia 1993 Bolgheri Sassicaia	Tenuta San Guido	05/26/16	Daniele Cernilli	A difficult, rainy growing season did not allow the polyphenols to fully develop. The ruby-garnet color here has an average intensity but is bright, while the aromas lean towards slightly vegetal,... Leggi tutto
Sassicaia 1992 Bolgheri Sassicaia	Tenuta San Guido	05/26/16	Daniele Cernilli	A surprising vintage considering this was not an exceptional year for Tuscan reds. But Sassicaia has accustomed us to such performances. The intense ruby-garnet color has a nice concentration and is... Leggi tutto
Sassicaia 1991 Bolgheri Sassicaia	Tenuta San Guido	05/26/16	Daniele Cernilli	This was not an exceptional year but the incredible combination of environmental and climatic factors in Bolgheri’s terroir once again allowed for the creation of a wine far above the norm. The... Leggi tutto
Sassicaia 1990 Bolgheri Sassicaia	Tenuta San Guido	05/26/16	Daniele Cernilli	This was a valid year but not a ‘happy’ one considering expectations. The wine has an intense and concentrated ruby color but it is less bright than the ’92. The aromas are intense... Leggi tutto
Sassicaia 1989 Bolgheri Sassicaia	Tenuta San Guido	05/26/16	Daniele Cernilli	Another average year with a difficult harvest but Sassicaia overcame these obstacles with the class of a great racehorse. This is certainly lesser wine than the 1988 and ’90 but this does not... Leggi tutto
Sassicaia 1988 Bolgheri Sassicaia	Tenuta San Guido	05/26/16	Daniele Cernilli	This was Giacomo Tachis’ favorite vintage and he considered it to be even better than the ’85. The ruby color is intensely concentrated, profound and certainly now what one would expected... Leggi tutto
Sassicaia 1987 Bolgheri Sassicaia	Tenuta San Guido	05/26/16	Daniele Cernilli	A minor vintage. The ruby color has an average intensity and the bouquet has scents of spicy wood and red fruit (black cherry) and, although somewhat intense, the profile of the aroma is more... Leggi tutto
Sassicaia 1986 Bolgheri Sassicaia	Tenuta San Guido	05/26/16	Daniele Cernilli	This was the least convincing vintage of the 1980s and while it is an excellent wine, it came as a disappointment after the exceptional ’85. The ruby color has some garnet reflections and is of... Leggi tutto