Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido 2007

The 2007 Sassicaia (Cabernet Sauvignon) explodes onto the palate with masses of rich, opulent fruit that caress the palate with gorgeous length and a seamless beauty that is hard to fully capture. Dark wild cherries, plums, spices, minerals and herbs develop in the glass. This is an especially bold, perhaps slightly uncharacteristic Sassicaia in its extroverted personality, but it is beautiful all the same. The inner perfume and sweetness carries through the long finish, where the sheer weight and glycerol of the fruit leaves a lasting impression. The 2007 is more than a worthy follow-up to the profound 2006. While it may lack that wine's freshness, structure and potential longevity, the 2007 is immensely appealing today, and should drink beautifully pretty much out of the gate. That said, Sassicaia is always the most restrained of Bolgheri's heavy hitters. This is a superb effort from Tenuta San Guido. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2037

Mid crimson. Very lifted and complex. Ripe but not flashy nose. Very terroir driven rather than strongly Cabernet. Released May/Jun 2010. Very lively and Lafite-like. Racy. Aristocratic. Very rewarding. Not especially hot. Sinewy. Even very slightly salty. So much more refined than Ornellaia 2007! Wonderfully subtle. 13.5%. Drink 2012-2026