Sassicaia 1997

This revealed itself to be a vintage that is not on top form compared to the ones produced subsequently, even though its market price is one of the highest. Its colour was one of the palest of the day’s tasting, with some garnet and orange shades visible at the rim of the glass. The nose is characterised by sensations of very ripe sour cherries and the odd waft of superabundant alcohol. The palate is its best aspect: silky, with a touch of leather and a light whiff of red bell peppers in the retro-nasal pathway and reasonable persistence. This is certainly not a memorable vintage of “our” national monument.