SASSICAIA 750ML 2022

Several months on from the first taste in the spring, Sassicaia 2022's aromatics have come to the fore. It's really floral and bright, with dense violet-infused back and red berries supported by fine, chalky tannins. There's some very juicy fruit waiting to be released, with a saline and succulent, creamy and chalky background. ‘1998 was one of the best vintages in Bolgheri...for aromatic content, we can compare it to 2022,’ says general manager and production manager, Carlo Paoli.

The Tenuta San Guido 2022 Bolgheri Sassicaia is very much defined by its strong tannic backbone, and tasting it now, a year after release, that impression remains unchanged. A perfumed, almost floral component lifts the bouquet, which stays elegantly vertical and sharp despite the wine’s power. This is a little tank of a wine, moving forward with muscle and intensity, a character memorably described by Tenuta San Guido general manager Carlo Paoli as “a kid with a drum kit,” an image that feels both fitting and true. The vintage saw lower yields, down 18%, due to severe fruit selection in a hot and dry growing season. The finish brings playful notes of mint and sweet grenadine, trailing off with surprising elegance.

The 2022 Sassicaia is a very pretty, expressive wine. There’s a bit more Cabernet Sauvignon (and less Franc) in this year’s blend, and that really comes through in the wine’s flavor profile and slightly bruising tannins. Dark cherry, plum, leather, licorice, graphite and incense give the 2022 striking aromatic presence to match its rather brooding personality. There’s a bit of tension in the tannins that needs time to resolve. Yields were down about 20% because of intensely cold weather in spring, variable conditions during flowering and set, and then searing heat and drought throughout the summer.