2006 Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido, Bolgheri Sassicaia, Tuscany, Italy

First commercial vintage 1968, and awarded its own DOC in 1994. 2006 was generally hot and dry, with a dry autumn. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grown on clay and limestone up to 300 m. Fermented in stainless steel and stored in French oak barrels for 24 months. Stored for six months after bottling. Tasted in magnum.

Vibrant dark crimson. Very much the opposite of the Rollandian style. Lovely freshness and relaxed fluidity. Great stuff. Great balance and only just ready.

Drink 2013 - 2030

85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc.

Bright red-ruby. The complex nose melds red cherry, blackcurrant, minerals, dried herbs and a delicate oaky vanillin nuance; the fruit aromas show an almost roasted quality without going over the top. Sweet, concentrated and nicely fresh, with an impression of strong extract and a hint of exotic fruits to the flavours of ripe red and dark berries, chocolate, plum and wild herbs. 

The candied fruit quality carries through on the long, smooth finish, where there's a trace of heat and hints of menthol and minerals. A very successful Sassicaia but, in my notebook, just a little below the lofty heights of the 2001 or 2004. But given the quality of this wine, that's quibbling.

Sweet tobacco and berry with hints of currants. Full, soft and silky. Lots of fruit and a long finish. It's subtle, dense and sophisticated. Please give this another five years to really show what it has.

The 2006 Sassicaia still has a dark garnet colour while the nose has an impression of smoke and crushed dried flowers and some subtle, charred toast notes of oak. On the palate, there is a lovely, soft, velvety texture together with dark, bramble fruit flavours. The fruit feels cooler in nature with leafy blackberry notes and again a thrilling spine of acidity. For Priscilla Incisa Della Rocchetta and the Tenuta San Guido team, the 2006 was 'a rather fresher vintage … an elegant wine with good structure, the classic Sassicaia style with notes of juniper, myrtle, and Mediterranean forest, characteristic of this wine and the terroir where it is produced.'

Drink 2022 - 2033

The Tenuta San Guido 2006 Bolgheri Sassicaia is a timeless classic. This might just be the vintage to photograph in an encyclopedia entry for Sassicaia. This is especially true at this exact moment in its long and promising drinking window. The wine shows less volume compared to some of the more opulent vintages, but it absolutely excels in terms of length and finish. 

It offers amazing drive and momentum that are fueled by the extremely fine nature of the wine's texture and the seamless unity of its flavours. It treads in light and delicate footsteps that will carry it far into the future. As they say in Italian: "Piano piano si va lontano" slowly slowly you go far).

Drink 2017 - 2035

The 2006 Sassicaia may very well go down as one of the all-time great recent vintages for this Tuscan thoroughbred. The year started off very warm but by August evening temperatures had moderated, leaving the fruit with a stunning combination of ripeness, perfume, acidity and tannin. The wine is simply glorious, that's all there is to it. Layers of dark fruit meld into smoke, leather, violets, menthol, earthiness and tar as this profound wine opens up in the glass. The creamy, silky finish lasts an eternity, as waves of fruit caress the tannins with breathtaking elegance. Everything is in the right place in this magical Sassicaia. This is one for the ages. In a word: Awesome.

This is a superb set of releases from Tenuta San Guido, the estate that put Maremma on the map as a terroir for world-class wine.

Drink 2013 - 2031

To be honest, I gave the Sassicaia 1985 100 points at the same tasting, but those notes have already been published, and it’s a vintage that has been celebrated plenty of times. Both bottles were from one of the standout tastings of the year – in Rome, a vertical of Sassicaia dating back over five decades. This 2006 has guts and glory, there is stuffing here. 

The exotic heat comes through like a pan-seared filet steak, nothing more than a flash fire that gives way to succulence. More exoticism with the dancing array of flavours, from plums, damson and spices to forest fruits and heather then the menthol kicks comes in. You just want to linger over this glass, pick apart the individual flavours and get to understand what it is saying.