2021 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia IGT Bolgheri, Tuscany

Another great vintage in Tuscany, following a run of exceptional years, and as you might exect from this estate, we are here right at the top of what the vintage has produced. Expect to find softly grilled and smoked campfire notes on the opening, unrolling over ripe brambled berries, overlaid with incense, tobacco, sweetened red pepper, orange zest, liqourice and lavender. Sassicaia is a wine with a slow, gentle reveal, with a slate texture that highlights the subtle minerality and drawn out finish. My tastebuds are totally fired up, mouth watering, this is an active experience, you are engaged and wanting to lean in what happens next. Such clever winemaking, reflecting an exceptional terroir. Carlo Paoli director, 40% new oak for ageing.

100 points Jane Anson

Very classy and typical of Sassicaia with currant, tobacco, chocolate, sage and lavender on the nose and palate. Medium- to full-bodied with very integrated and refined tannins that are caressing and pretty with a lovely length and beauty. Such finesse and structure at the same time. Best in 2028 and beyond but already joy to taste.

98 points jamessuckling.com

Few wines have changed the course of Italian winemaking quite like Sassicaia. Its story began when Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta planted Cabernet Sauvignon at Tenuta San Guido in Bolgheri, convinced that the gravelly soils of Tuscany's coast could produce wines to rival the great estates of Bordeaux. The first commercial vintage was released in 1968, and Sassicaia went on to become the defining Super Tuscan, eventually earning its own Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC appellation. Today, the Incisa della Rocchetta family continues that remarkable legacy, producing one of Italy's most celebrated and collectible reds. The 2021 is a particularly exciting release from an outstanding vintage.

Cabernet Sauvignon forms the backbone of Sassicaia, complemented by Cabernet Franc, grown in vineyards scattered across the estate's coastal hills. The combination of stony soils, Mediterranean sunshine and cooling sea breezes creates ideal conditions for slow, balanced ripening. The 2021 growing season produced fruit of exceptional quality, with remarkable concentration, freshness and aromatic definition. Careful fermentation and maturation in French oak preserve the wine's natural elegance while building the structure needed for decades of ageing. The result is a Sassicaia of extraordinary harmony, combining the depth of a great vintage with the restraint and finesse that distinguish this legendary estate.

Deep ruby red with a luminous garnet edge. Blackcurrant, wild blackberry and dark cherry mingle with violet, cedar and graphite. Notes of tobacco leaf, dried sage, liquorice and subtle Mediterranean herbs emerge with air. The palate is concentrated yet remarkably graceful, with pure dark fruit framed by beautifully sculpted tannins and vibrant acidity. There is a wonderful mineral tension beneath the richness, while black olive, cocoa and fine savoury spice contribute further complexity. The finish is exceptionally long and precise, leaving lingering cassis, cedar and crushed stone. A magnificent Sassicaia, with the balance, depth and quiet authority that define the very best vintages.

Porcini risotto, wild mushroom pappardelle or roasted eggplant with lentils and aged Pecorino would all complement its savoury character. For a more traditional pairing, consider bistecca alla Fiorentina, slow roasted lamb with rosemary or duck breast with a rich red wine reduction. Decant generously if opening young, although this is a wine that truly deserves time in the cellar.

Cellaring: Drink 2030 to 2055+. The exceptional structure, freshness and concentration of the 2021 vintage suggest outstanding ageing potential over several decades.