Sassicaia (Tenuta San Guido) Bolgheri 2009 750ml

Rated 100 - Captivating blueberry, raspberry nectar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and milk chocolate aromas are complicated by sweet pipe tobacco and violet on the drop-dead gorgeous nose. Suave and luscious on entry, then also plush and silky in the middle, with ripe acidity providing shape to the dark and red fruit and sweet spice flavours. Very creamy but enlivened by a cool coffee nuance, the finish is creamy but energetic and focused, showcasing magically polished tannins and outstanding lingering chocolaty persistence of exotic wood, cocoa and spices. A seamless, slightly meaty wine that boasts impeccable balance and memorable complexity. [...] For my money, the 2009 Sassicaia was and still is the best Sassicaia of the 21st century along with the 2016. - Terroir Sense

An extremely rich and ripe wine with currant, cherry and balsamic aromas. Hints of leather. Follows through on the finish. Full body, round and velvety tannins that are reserved and beautiful. Sweet and sour. Savory, too. Drink or hold. This has a long life ahead of it.

The Tenuta San Guido 2009 Bolgheri Sassicaia showed marked concentration upon its initial release and was widely regarded as one of the richest expressions in the estate’s modern history. Today, the wine is in a beautiful place, offering intense fruit with blackcurrant, tobacco and savory notes that follow the classic Sassicaia blueprint but place greater emphasis on volume and texture, a profile that invites comparison with the 2023 vintage. The 2009 remains full and generous on the palate, yet what sets it apart is the striking freshness of the vintage, outpacing both 2012 and 2011 in terms of energy and lasting liveliness. This wine continues to get better every time I've been lucky enough to taste it.

Bright full ruby. Pure, perfumed aromas of blackberry, cassis, lead pencil, violet and minerals, complicated by a superripe note of crushed raspberry. Extremely primary and pure, offering sharply defined cassis, violet and mineral flavors of great class. The perfectly integrated acidity and a vibrant floral character from the cabernet franc give the middle palate terrific lift. Though very ripe in its flavor profile, this wine conveys a rare lightness of touch that is typical of Sassicaia but rare for this vintage on the Tuscan Coast. Finishes with noble tannins and outstanding palate-staining length. For all its creamy power and charm, I really like this wine's balance and the subtle delivery of its complex flavors. I have tasted every vintage of Sassicaia on countless occasions and, other than the legendary 1985, I have no doubt that this is one of the two or three best Sassicaias at a similar stage of development. Though the 2009 won't surpass the once-in-a-lifetime 1985, it is starting out its life in bottle with almost the same perfectly balanced, opulent creamy texture and depth of that incredible wine, which I remembertasting both in Rome and in Tuscanyimmediately upon release. In fact, that wine was so good that even thoughI was still auniversity student (and thus on a studentbudget), it was the firsttime in my lifeI ever bought a full case. If I were a university student today, I'd do the same with the 2009, even though the price of Sassicaia is far higher today. There's profound potential here, but younger wine writers and consumers who weren't seriously involved in tasting back in the '80s may well be surprised by this wine's voluptuous, atypically opulent texture and thus miss its sheer greatness.

Some torrefied, caramel notes on the nose, this is a wine that vibrates with a beautifully held together crimson red colour. On the palate, there are signs of a hot vintage, with hints of exotic fig, yet it’s shot through with fresh crushed violet notes. Can feel some sun bleaching, although again a heady sweet spice fragrance takes over. This is grilled charcoal over a roasted blackcurrant Cabernet core. And then, just as you are wondering about the exoticism of the fruit, the sweet relief of fresh mint comes slipping in on the finish. What a beautiful wine. Elegant, but packs quite a punch.

This tightly knit, dense red is full of black currant, cherry, herb and spice flavors. The tannins are aggressive now, but this is long and detailed, with an herb and spice aftertaste. A classy wine. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2014 through 2028. 17,500 cases made.