Tenuta San Guido

Home of the legendary Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido was first planted in the 1940s but it was only 1968 that the first wine was commercially released. The revolutionary decision to plant mainly Cabernet Sauvignon was made after noting the similarities between the stony Tuscan terrain and that of Graves in Bordeaux.  

“Italy’s most iconic wine estate – the ground zero for all fine wine made in the country today”
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate

Sassicaia “stony ground” is widely considered as one of the world`s greatest Cabernet Sauvignon wines.  Renowned for its consistently superb quality year on year, collectors also recognise its track record of steady price increases and tradability. The estate also produces the brilliant Guidalberto and Le Difese that offer a touch of the Sassicaia class at a fraction of the price.

Guidalberto merits serious attention.  A Bordeaux blend of 60/40 Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot, this is Sassicaia's second violin, akin to a top second wine in Bordeaux. Guidalberto shows off the the hallmarks of Sassicaia winemaking expertise - an array of  voluptuous aromatic fruit, impressive structure and refined tannins - and is capable of ageing 15 years+.  

Le Difese, Sassicaia's third label, comes from the estate’s younger vines and is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Sangiovese.  This is a good all-rounder, easy drinking with a touch of Sassicaia class.

Le Difese

"The 2021 Le Difese is redolent of crushed red berry fruit, rose petal, lavender, spice and sweet pipe tobacco. Medium in body yet nicely layered, the 2021 is impeccably balanced. It is also a sheer delight to taste at this early stage. In many vintages, Le Difese is a fruity, forward wine, but the 2021 has a nervy feeling of classicism that is hugely appealing. It's one of my favorite recent vintages. Drink 2023-2031."

91 | Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Guidalberto

"A classic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the Tenuta San Guido 2021 Guidalberto shows tart cherry fruit with darker tones of blackberry and plum. This vintage delivers especially chiseled and focused fruit characteristics that are elegantly framed by light spice, cola and earth. This vintage shows a heightened sense of intensity and territorial identity that is the hallmark of this storied estate."

94 | Monica Larner, Wine Advocate

Sassicaia

"The latest release from Tenuta San Guido is the 2019 Bolgheri Sassicaia. The bouquet is up front and very expressive from the get-go. It offers a generous display of crunchy, dark cherry that hints at the extra concentration and fruit weight obtained in the 2019 growing season. This vintage will be remembered for the crisp richness of the fruit and its important textural imprint. It also shows fine elegance, bordering on the ethereal, with berry aromas, tarry earth and brushes of balsam herb or grilled rosemary. Sassicaia always shows an almost-glossy finely knit quality to the polished mouthfeel, and I find it again here next to fresh acidity and firm tannins. Mouthfeel in 2019 is the wine's strongest suit. The 2019 is one of the prettiest and most balanced editions of Sassicaia we've seen this past decade, along with the back-to-back duo of 2016 and 2015. The 2019 marries the precision of the 2016 with the rich fruit weight of the 2015. Drink 2025-2055."

98 | Monica Larner, Wine Advocate