Really just wonderful. You'd never guess this was 35 years old, still so much fruit, red on the nose, dark on the palate alongside some good tertiary flavours. A long life ahead, but drinking magnificently now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A few years back, this vintage was like an uncut gem—still rough around the edges, its aromas shy and reserved, craving a generous breath of air to truly shine. I speculated it was at least a decade away from hitting its stride. Fast forward four years, and it's as if the wine found its voice, bursting into a symphony of flavor. It has entered its prime drinking window, presenting an intricate tapestry of mature aromas, balanced with an exquisite sweetness and vibrant fruitiness. Its robust structure promises decades of drinking pleasure ahead. This is the best Sassicaia I’ve ever had, very much old-school left bank Bordeaux in its style and feel. 96/97pts.
TN: Intense, dark fruit nose with menthol notes, tobacco, herbs. The same on the palate, lots of fresh dark berries, minerality, tobacco, some truffles, menthol notes, some red and blue fruits underneath that become more pronounced with time. Some caramel sweetness on the back, which balances the earthy and tertiary aromas beautifully. Superb precision, every flavor is in HD. There are plenty of well-integrated tannins that are fine but still noticeable, plenty of freshness and a fine velvety texture. This can go on for several more decades. Lots of stuffing, lots of poise, superb!
Decanting: This needs at least an hour to fully open up. Better two.
Tasted blind. Herbal notes of green bell pepper, defined and precise basket of red and blue fruit including cherry, cranberry and blueberry. Aging notes of wet earth, pipe tobacco and leather. Also cedar wood, dark chocolate, mineral notes of graphite and just a hint of liquorice. Juicy and fresh palate with a tight structure. This felt like a stereotypical, classic Bordeaux. I placed this in Péssac as it didn’t quite fit the muscular shape of a Paulliac or St Julien nor the feminine elegance of a Margaux. Amazing testament to the aging potential of Sassicaia and no doubt one of the best Sassicaias I’ve had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
During a Matter of Taste dinner, only brief impressions. In very good shape, complex aromas of dark fruit, mushrooms, forest floor. Elegant mouth feel.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium red with brown tint. Very earthy, brothy, black fruit with developing roasted meat and singed green herbs. Great earthy black cherry, cassis and bell pepper flavours. The finish is long and textured but balanced.
Served next to an 88 Margaux that seemed a bit simple in comparison. Always thrilling to drink this wine. The 1988 Sassicaia is a great wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Served blind by Bill in a pairing with an '88 Margaux, a similar blend but with a very different result. Medium burnished red color with notes of cedar-y cigar box, warm red fruit and old leather books. We were positive it was left bank Bordeaux and most likely St. Julien. Nope!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful nose tertiary driven cigar box, tobacco leaf, oak and pine wood nose. Some blackcurrant and cherry. Palate lovely concentrated cassis, underripe raspberry, lovely cedar and tobacco tertiary. Great vibrancy and acidic balance. Lovely structure and a long finish showing all the complexity.
Simply wonderful. Unanimously the wine of the night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bottle five of this and I have been blessed with another absolutely excellent showing. Smelt amazing when poured, but I decanted for 45 minutes and enjoyed its development over another couple of hours.
Rusty ruby colour. Lovely nose red currant, raspberry, strawberry, liquorice, some distinct "aged claret" notes of earth and mature wood.
Palate remarkably young, with hints of sweet red fruit remaining: dried strawberry, cherry. Balanced by a more mature earth, touch of iron. Oak, touch of vanilla and pine/wood from pencil shavings.
Opened up to reveal a lovely oak and tobacco profile with a hint of mocha also. Leather and sweet pepper also present.
This was concentrated and with a long finish showing off the many complex layers of notes. I'd say this had literally perfect balance and acidity; great structure to the wine still and it will keep going.
This was the most "Bordeaux first growth like" of the five bottles I've had so far... a certain very distinct mature claret tertiary note present moreso than before. Lovely!
This was so good. Debating in my head if it should be 97 or 98 points. I might change a few times.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fourth and hands down best bottle of this I've had - just so well balanced and at a perfect place for drinking.
Brilliant nose (sommelier said akin to 1982 Mouton he'd opened the same afternoon). Cassis, red currants, with some wood and cigar box on nose.
Really bloomed after 60-90mins in a decanter. Palate of cassis, red currant, unripe raspberry along with wonderfully complex tertiary notes of graphite, wood (pine?) and a touch of tobacco.
Still extremely young feeling and no old musky notes nor soy sauce which I'd not enjoyed so much on other bottles. All perfectly balanced, concentrated and everything was in the right place.
Rightfully felt up there with top Cab Savs such as first growth Bdx. Long finish showing off complexity with liquorish note on finish. Best bottle yet and an extremely exciting wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Third bottle I have had of this and this was the weakest as it was a bit soft. Nose and palate dominated by tertiary and old leaf/forest floor notes along with a forward prune/dried fruitiness. Nice acidity and decent structure but lacked the wow of the other two bottles (esp the first which was a solid 96+).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Smelt and tasted next to the excellent 1970 Latour on the same evening remarkable how much younger this seemed. Ripe rather than mature, despite the considerable age to the bottle.
Nose a surprising "Worcester sauce" note - mix of dark fruit and spice.
Rich, complex body to taste. Ripe dark fruit with a certain smoke and meatiness to it. An element of almost sweeter notes as one tastes in something like caramelised onions. Developed in glass and showed quite an interesting tea leaves taste.
Well balanced and great drink. Very smooth although I felt this didn't show quite the same structure and finesse as the previous bottle I had tried. An excellent quality Sassicaia nonetheless and with decades ahead of it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1986 Bordeaux plus some supplements (Restaurant Brunnenstube, Beinstein): Popped and poured. Clear, deep garnet color. Nose with lots of elderberries and other fruit, some honey, some tobacco. Very round, soft and elegant. On the palate great elegance, harmony and balance, but also still an interesting tension and depth. Fine, silky tannin, wonderful acidity. Beautiful length. Drink now or within the next years. I don’t think it will improve. 94-95
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely deep red with brick tinges around the rim. On the nose, some beautiful, mature notes. Prominent tobacco and smokey wood. On palate base notes of tobacco/smokey wood, black truffles and even black olives. Opens up to some a crescendo of classical red fruity notes - apples, sweeter cherry, grapes.
Overall excellent. Wonderfully balanced and together. One could see this drinking well for another couple of decades at least.
Decanted this for about 30 minutes before drinking and let it open up in glass for the rest of lunch - this seemed to be very well timed and the peak of the wine was stunning.
I am aware of bottle variation but this was definitely a good one! An honour to try and with great company too.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Just a bit lighter and less intense than the otherworldy 1985, here you find a multi-layered, voluptuously textured wine showing off its tobacco, pepper, sweet, fresh, juicy, cherry and licorice notes at every twist and turn. This is drinking just great today.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light red with clear edges. Smoky road tar, roasted meat, dried mushrooms, brown sugar and cassis. Dry elegant earthy red fruit flavours. The finish is still there, very balanced.
This seemed like a blending of Nebbiolo and Northern Rhone Syrah. Hard to guess it was Bolgheri.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Three bottles were bought in the beginning of the 90's, and one was drunk 9 years ago. My impression that time was that this wine was not worthy of the hype. This time, my verdict is a bit different. Deep mahogany colour with an almost black core. Deep tears on the glass. Wonderful nose of secondary/tertiary aromas of tobacco, cedar, camphor, eucalyptus wood, warm earth, but also with a core of sweet fruit in the vein of plums and blackberries. Not at all raisiney. Full bodied, velvety mouthfeel, a fine acidity, and extremely refined and polished tannins. Long aftertaste dominated by tobacco, sweet plums, warm earth and menthe (!). An extremely well made wine that has kept very good, but.... It reminds me of well made Australian Chiraz/Cabernet, and lacks a certain personality. This was not blind. If it had been, I think I would have placed it in Barossa or California. Is that a compliment?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I expected a fully mature (or probably already past its peak) wine but this wine (or bottle) is at least 10 years away from its peak. Probably even more. At first it showed a bit like a young St. Julien with lots of minerality, blue fruit and acidity. With more time the signature Sassicaia character came forward with subtle sweet red fruit and soft structure. Hardly any hints of tertiary aromas. This has the structure and fruit to age further and become more complex as today it‘s like most Sassicaia‘s not overly deep and interesting. 93/94 points.
TN: After time in the decanter the wine opened-up with a nose of wet slate, herbs and sweet red fruit. Same aromas on the palate with just hints of tertiary development with some leather peaking through. Not overly complex but well defined and harmonious. Very good structure and tension with soft tannins and a high but well-integrated acidity (after some air). It has not the complexity, sharpness or length of the best wines but is still quite pleasant, especially as there aren’t that many birth year 88s out there In that quality.
Decanting: Every bottle will be different but this needed two hours in the decanter to reach its peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose opens up immediately, no need for decant. The myriad of perceptible fragments of fragrance is really quite pleasing. Mocha, tobacco (cigar), wet earth, truffle. Fruit is fading and aftertaste is medium at most. It has not turned into a graveyard by any means but this wine is more about smelling than tasting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP at Pizza Beddia. Bottle and cork in excellent condition. Wine was singing from the start. Claret in color and muted aroma (perhaps b/c of the glass type). But the wine was fantastically integrated with a silky texture. Medium + body, medium finish, resolved tannins. Sour cherries and red fruits up front with a background of cola then evolving to cocoa, vanilla and nut - remarkable tertiary flavors. Don't believe this will get more complex and it's probably already peaked but it was a wonderful example of how well an excellent producer can hold up after 3 decades in a bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Achim's Magnum Tasting 2017 (Berens am Kai 1 star Restaurant): Toller Bordeaux wieder aus Italien. Wirkt verschlossener als der Latour 1996. Ausgeprägte Tertiäraromatik, insbesondere Kaffee und Zigarrenkiste. Für mich jetzt auf seinem Höhepunkt. 95
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wet autumnal forest, soft and meaty, earth, sous-bois as well as dry cigar and a touch of VA. Excellent mouthfeel, superb balance, so good! There's also old lether and sulfur on the nose as well as some rowan berries on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A very mature wine that needs to be drank. Delivers on antique wood, dried fruit and some meat juice. A bit raisiny with super resolved tannins. Today's price is definitely more about label and rarity than the wine inside. This vintage came on the heels of the 1985, and that reflects in the price as well. DRINK
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I really enjoy this wine, but its my first note. For me second only to the Sassicaia of 85, this reminds me most of an 85 St Julien with lots of aromatic cedar and a touch of graphite. In the mouth it lacks great density, but there is still a nice richness and persistence. Elegant winemaking that has higher than expected acidity, drawing you back for another sip. Technically there were better wines at the table tonight but this I enjoyed the most with food. Does not need decanting, popping an pouring is enough since only 10mins in a glass needed.
The Athens Wine Event to put all the others to shame (Paleo Reastaurant, Piraeus): Tasted blind. Our friend who brought this in Magnum did not say this was a magnum and served it blind , brilliantly, in 2 flights. One decanted and one not decanted. Tasting note 2 of 2 the later one disclosed as the non decanted one. We guessed 90s top level left bank Bordeaux. Comparing it to the decanted that we had before we said, younger, riper, richer. Lovely layers of fruit, dark fruited, depth, complexity and energy that reminded us of the Latour 1990 we tried in the previous flight. An amazing wine pure and elegant. 96
PLS DO NOT decant long as it dries out the fruit. The decanted one we rated 93 and non Decanted 96!!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The Athens Wine Event to put all the others to shame (Paleo Reastaurant, Piraeus): Tasted blind. Our friend who brought this in Magnum did not say this was a magnum and served it blind , brilliantly, in 2 flights. One decanted and one not decanted. Tasting note 1 of 2 the later one disclosed as the decanted one . We guessed late 80s top level left bank Bordeaux . Well evolved, mature, forest floor, tobacco notes. Light dark fruit but felt like it was fading. Bright and alive though, firm however also soft and so elegant. Beautifully made wine. Shame though the fruit was on the dry side.
PLS DO NOT decant long as it dries out the fruit. The decanted one we rated 93 and non Decanted 96!!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pristine bottle and cork. Soared from the bottle on opening; decanted for an hour and drunk across around 90 mins. Relatively deep red in the glass with only slight signs of age. The fruit is spectacular - intense blackcurrant with a twist of blueberry - high class tobacco with notes of leather, tar, grilled herbs and meat. Didn't change much over the 90 mins though at the margin the fruit showed more beautifully when a touch cooler. A great bottle of this wine, easy *****
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium/light red with brown edges. Nutty, earthy red fruit nose. Later it develops some blood and meat notes as it warmed/opened up in the glass. Soft earthy red fruit flavours and a soft dark cherry finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Garnet color with slight brown rim. Leather, sour cherries and earthy tones. Very smooth medium+ body, balanced with good acidity. Very long finish with hints of tobacco. This evolved well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Animale opposto a quello bevuto da magnum sei mesi fa: finalmente questo è un vino maturo, anzi: negli anni di beva perfetta!! Il frutto del Cabernet qui è talmente sferico e maturo, scevro da qualsiasi nota vegetale o verde, da farlo sembrare alla cieca un Bordeaux di Riva Destra con un' alta percentuale di Merlot. Tabacco, catrame, fumo e spezie del legno preparano a un palato di seta della miglior fattura. Acidità e legno sono ancora molto presenti, ma ormai legati in unione amorosa inscindibile. Scende soave e pacato, con solo 12,5% di alcool ad accarezzare ogni angolo della bocca e del cuore. Monumento dell' enologia italiana
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
SASSICAIA MAGNUM VERTICALE (WINETIP - MILANO): Degustato da Magnum a settembre 2015. Naso molto complesso che si assesta su toni amari di caffè, catrame e radici. Con l' aria cambia marcia e diventa sempre più fresco e arioso. Coniuga la freschezza del frutto primario dell' 85 con il carattere più autunnale e terroso dell' 83. In bocca è meno dolce, meno glicerico e meno mastodontico dell' 85, ma ugualmente teso, acidulo e succoso. In questo formato consiglio di attendere ancora un pò di anni.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Made the mistake of having this is a smaller glass. However, could still pick up notes of cedar, sandalwood spices on the nose. Silky and sensual on the palate, this was also very fresh with weight/depth to match that of a very good Bord. Very nice!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
All Stars: Compared to Cos d'Estournel '90, this had more vegetal notes on the nose (boiled carrots typical of a CF). There was only 15% of Caberne Franc in the blend, but it was showing. On the nose there was also notes of old leather and initially some basement, but I don't think it was corked. High accidity, it also felt even more fragile or feminine than Cos.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
BYOB dinner with Jamie Pollack (Bourbon Steak): Once again, a great showing. Perfectly matured yet fresh Cab nose, lovely red fruits, mineral, also cassis, lead pencil, strong presence of iron which is different than the last bottle, a hint of ash and tar and flower. Medium concentration, silky palate, strong presence of iron/mineral, nicely integrated tannins and seamless long finish. This is drinking incredibly well. Other than a hint of tar, I would guess it as a perfectly mature classic cab if served blind. Lovely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium red with light edges. Very Bordeaux like nose, cedar, floor dust, coffee, black currant. Very complex nose. Delicious dark cherry and earth flavours and a nice soft finish. Even the finish seems more French then italian. It certainly seems resolved. A bit better then the 86 on this night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle was given to me by a friend who had not stored it correctly. I always figured it would be a dead soldier. I have had it in my cellar for about 9 or 10 years. Fill is at the top shoulder. This is a gorgeous wine showing real class. Red fruits, lead pencil, silky on the palate. Acids and tannins are nicely balanced here. Long finish. A very pleasant surprise on Thanksgiving!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
World Wine Symposium 2013 - Kevin and Kelly's excellent adventure; 11/6/2013-11/14/2013 (Villa D’este, Lake Como): Kelly and Orazio who are drink a lot of Sassicaia informed me that this is the second best wine of the 80s after the 85 and this didn’t disappoint. Beautifully matured yet remains fresh, lovely complex red fruits, a hint of licorice, rose, tar, lead pencil and flowers. Medium concentration, silky palate, good acidity and nicely integrated tannins. This is at its peak, not a big wine but showing beautiful harmony and complexity. Very enjoyable and another wine to seek at auction.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
We did not decant this wine for very long. Very fruity, with a hint of licorice. Very easy to drink. It was our favorite in the evening against a 1990.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sassicaia! (Roma - Hilton Cavalieri): The weather of 1988 had a similarity with the evolution of almost-perfect 1985. With this vintage, the use of barriques starting to decrease (both leght of stay and I passage). Crystalline ruby red. Very, very complex and fine at nose: coffee, violet, incense, salinity and iron minerals. Mediterrean trees. In mouth, maybe less fruit, but still a lot of texture, minerality and tannins. For me one of the best; going down when opened. ****
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
- A Medium finish - Has been in the cellar since December 1991 as a gift from Frank and Stephanie, who signed the bottle. Great wine! Opened and decanted about 7 pm and let it sit for 90 plus minutes. Still enjoying it at nearly 10 pm, holding up really well. Nice balance, nice structure, finishes low in the throat. So VERY sorry it was the only one in the cellar. Thanks, Frank and Stephanie!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lunch at IWM - Another very good wine in a string of a good wines at this lunch, followed the 85 Conterno Cicala, opulent, rich but not heavy, with good structure and balance, still has a long life ahead of it
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aromas of dark fruits, earth and forest floor and a touch of herbs. Full-bodied and rich, but with good acidity and very good length. I enjoyed this quite much despite my aversion to what wine represents. Admittedly, it was quite late and my palate was a bit fatigued hence the short tasting note.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
From my original stach. Delicious and Bordeaux-like in it's restraint and class. Hold other bottles for as long as possible as this is ever so slowly coming around. 93+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is aging at a glacial pace (perfectly stored in my cellar since release) but its finally starting to drink well with wonderful dark spicy red fruit. There is a woodsy, forest floor and eucalyptus flavor and the texture is very fine and elegant. Finishes complex and finely concentrated. I think the best days of this wine are yet to come but it's quite a treat to taste now. 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle was fantastic. Not tired at all and showing wonderful tertiary characteristics including some mushroom and loam along with still remaining blackberry, currant, and plum. Tannins were present but had mellowed. In a fabulous place and not going to get any better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Much better than the bottle we had in May. Family dinner so not really tasted (and therefore not rated), but an excellent wine that can be kept for years still.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Iren was so unhappy with the $900 Leroy Musigny we had with her 50th birthday yesterday, and she was so worried she actually doesn't LIKE old wine, I had to crack something even older open today, in an attempt to kill that theory... So why not a 1988 Sassicaia? (Here I am talking like someone who shits cash. Far from it, the Leroy was given to me from a generous brother-in-law, and the Sassicaia I bought when it had a more decent price, back in 1997.)
So how was it? Well, an ever-so-slight disappointment to be honest. Color-wise it had stood the test of time well, the edge was slightly brown, but less than I expected. The nose was predominantly oak and vanilla, and a slight hint of cat urine. No, really. On the palate still tannic, but well rounded, and good acidity. Not a very impressive length. Round and somewhat thin. This is not a complicated wine. Very good with the turkey from yesterday. Iren is convinced there was something wrong with this, (hint of cork she claimed, and a strange earthy palate) so we didn't rate it, but had we done it we would have given it around 86.
The jury is still out I guess, as to the «do we like old wine?»-question, but there are more oldies were these came from, so the answer will remain unanswered still for some time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Never saw the "super intense" WS wine (or the 98 pts); overall not a prized investment, tasting notes indicate "restrained" and "bottle variations" but never tasted young; best experiences were 2005-06: "sweet cab fruit, deep, rich, complex and nuanced"; last one was well balanced (lovely with osso bucco), stately, cab genome not to be denied. This wine has been fully mature for at least 5 years and has started a gradual decline.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Purple, red. Bit of plum and cedar on the nose. Not as obviously Cabernet influenced as the Baron. of course I think this is 100% Cabernet. At the last moment I guessed italian. I concentrated my thoughts on the prior wine so only after un-bagging did I give it some thought. A very nice wine for certain. Still has at least another 10 years of development in front of it. This is at least the second time I have drank this wine from Bill S's cellar and loved it both times.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rick's Birthday Dinner (Wink Wine Bar): This was really a teriffic wine. Reminiscent of an 80's California Cab with great fruit and a menthol/eucalyptus streak that I've tasted in both 70's and 80's Heitz Martha's and Turnbull wines. Just amazingly soft texture, great balance and a superb finish. Also has that funk that I associate with Italian wines. Needless to say, this wsa killer with food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I buy this bottle due to the movie Sideways just to find out how can it seduces one to be a crazy wine-lover.
Italian wine, Sassicaia, never spins me round like Bordeaux that's why I bring Certan de May 1990 to compare and I might say that Sassicaia is always a over-priced wine. Double-priced from Certan 1990 and two steps behind.
As same as Masseto 2000 when compare with Pavie Macquin 2000, it's good but not better than French wine.
One thing I can get from Italian wine is the misdirection, even Gaja, it always exposes the mixed left and right bank altogether. That's fun when making a blind-tasting with friends !!!
This 1988 shows very strong acid but nice and fresh, getting a little fruit with time, nice aftertaste.
I used to drink 1980, 1997 and 2000 that's enough for Sassicaia to me.
....Words of wisdom....There is nothing better than French wines, don't wasted your money, your time, your health...etc....
....Life is too short, right ?....
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Backstreet wine bar Italian tasting- Cedar. pepper, cherry, bit of truffles hugh wine. Drink like it was from a barrel sample, absoultley in perfect condition.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
what a wine. nose of mushroom, cassias, red fruit with a little earthiness. smooth mouth with nice spice, great finish with strong fruit, esp considering the age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Phoenix eRP Offline - Italian (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Nose of dark fruit, spice with beautiful earth undertones. Tastes of blackberry, charred oak, caramel and pepper. This wine has tremendous depth and complexity. Great purity of fruit. A long, knockout finish. Wow! My WOTF by a huge margin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
TWC Wood-a-bridge Offline (Alta Rossa Restaurant, Woodbridge, Canada): Dark ruby colour. Aromas of vanilla and black plums. Medium-full bodied, still showing some good grip, with dark fruit and leather notes. Moderate-long finish, 40s, with sugarplum notes. Just a notch behind the '88 Tignanello on this night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pinot Envy and Pinto brought this over to our house yesterday. My wife cooked lamb on the grill. This wine was still going strong. An opulent wine. Not quite up to the standards of the 1990 that I've had but an outstanding wine nonetheless. Despite being a blend of international varietals it is undoubtedly Italian. Cherry, smoke and red berry notes with a floral hint. Always a pleasure. 93 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I was actually positively surprised with this wine. I am not a big fan of CS, and found this to be a lot more to my liking than I expected. It is a very Italian wine in my opinion. The aromas totally scream Italy, where as the flavors of course are very much CS, though on a way lighter (or even elegant) side in my opinion than say a Bordeaux. I have heard people state that this is one of the best Italian wines – personally, though I found it good and even interesting, I can’t think of why anyone would prefer this over a good Barolo. For the cost of this wine, you could buy a really great Barolo, which to me is the way to go if you do decide to buy an Italian wine. It is though a pretty complex wine, with an interesting array of aromas including coffee, prunes and a tiny touch of anis. Very good balance, with very slick acidity, lovely oak and soft integrated tannis. The finish is better than the start that is for sure. Tasty wine, with an elegant approach, that does provide enough power to push it through. It is ready for business and definitely felt matured. I honestly can’t see it improving, though should cellar nicely till its 20th birthday. Overall I liked it, but can’t see myself ever buying another bottle. To me it was a 93/100 wine, and one of the more enjoyable CSs I have had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had wine with quail in pear halves and pasta with olives in Dataw. Superb wine. Mature, rounded, very little tannin, robust fruit and plenty of life ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The '88 Sassicaia showed very young, but was excellent. Still buoyed by fine tannins, this wine can easily go another 10 years. There is a nose on Italian Cabernet that is difficult to describe, but easy to recognize - this wine has it in spades.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/26/2024 - tufcspike@yahoo.co.uk Likes this wine: 97 Points
Really just wonderful. You'd never guess this was 35 years old, still so much fruit, red on the nose, dark on the palate alongside some good tertiary flavours. A long life ahead, but drinking magnificently now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/18/2024 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
A few years back, this vintage was like an uncut gem—still rough around the edges, its aromas shy and reserved, craving a generous breath of air to truly shine. I speculated it was at least a decade away from hitting its stride. Fast forward four years, and it's as if the wine found its voice, bursting into a symphony of flavor. It has entered its prime drinking window, presenting an intricate tapestry of mature aromas, balanced with an exquisite sweetness and vibrant fruitiness. Its robust structure promises decades of drinking pleasure ahead. This is the best Sassicaia I’ve ever had, very much old-school left bank Bordeaux in its style and feel. 96/97pts.
TN: Intense, dark fruit nose with menthol notes, tobacco, herbs. The same on the palate, lots of fresh dark berries, minerality, tobacco, some truffles, menthol notes, some red and blue fruits underneath that become more pronounced with time. Some caramel sweetness on the back, which balances the earthy and tertiary aromas beautifully. Superb precision, every flavor is in HD. There are plenty of well-integrated tannins that are fine but still noticeable, plenty of freshness and a fine velvety texture. This can go on for several more decades. Lots of stuffing, lots of poise, superb!
Decanting: This needs at least an hour to fully open up. Better two.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
3/8/2024 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted blind. Herbal notes of green bell pepper, defined and precise basket of red and blue fruit including cherry, cranberry and blueberry. Aging notes of wet earth, pipe tobacco and leather. Also cedar wood, dark chocolate, mineral notes of graphite and just a hint of liquorice. Juicy and fresh palate with a tight structure. This felt like a stereotypical, classic Bordeaux. I placed this in Péssac as it didn’t quite fit the muscular shape of a Paulliac or St Julien nor the feminine elegance of a Margaux. Amazing testament to the aging potential of Sassicaia and no doubt one of the best Sassicaias I’ve had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2024 - Collector1855 wrote: 95 Points
During a Matter of Taste dinner, only brief impressions. In very good shape, complex aromas of dark fruit, mushrooms, forest floor. Elegant mouth feel.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2023 - David J Cooper wrote: 97 Points
Medium red with brown tint. Very earthy, brothy, black fruit with developing roasted meat and singed green herbs. Great earthy black cherry, cassis and bell pepper flavours. The finish is long and textured but balanced.
Served next to an 88 Margaux that seemed a bit simple in comparison. Always thrilling to drink this wine. The 1988 Sassicaia is a great wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2023 - Neecies Likes this wine: 97 Points
Served blind by Bill in a pairing with an '88 Margaux, a similar blend but with a very different result. Medium burnished red color with notes of cedar-y cigar box, warm red fruit and old leather books. We were positive it was left bank Bordeaux and most likely St. Julien. Nope!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/23/2023 - remyworldpeace wrote: 94 Points
Dark cherry, underripe strawberry and raspberry with sole blackberry. Touch of cassis and earth, some slight tobacco. Black olives.
Perfectly solid but not one of the epic bottles I have had of this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2023 - remyworldpeace Likes this wine: 97 Points
Beautiful nose tertiary driven cigar box, tobacco leaf, oak and pine wood nose. Some blackcurrant and cherry. Palate lovely concentrated cassis, underripe raspberry, lovely cedar and tobacco tertiary. Great vibrancy and acidic balance. Lovely structure and a long finish showing all the complexity.
Simply wonderful. Unanimously the wine of the night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2023 - remyworldpeace Likes this wine: 96 Points
Great nose like usual. Dark black fruits, cherry touch of blackberry, some raisin. Lovely tertiary notes of cedar, pencil lead, and dark warm spices.
Blooms after 45-60mins in decanter and glass. Drinking very well - a pleasure as always
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/4/2023 - remyworldpeace Likes this wine: 98 Points
Bottle five of this and I have been blessed with another absolutely excellent showing. Smelt amazing when poured, but I decanted for 45 minutes and enjoyed its development over another couple of hours.
Rusty ruby colour. Lovely nose red currant, raspberry, strawberry, liquorice, some distinct "aged claret" notes of earth and mature wood.
Palate remarkably young, with hints of sweet red fruit remaining: dried strawberry, cherry. Balanced by a more mature earth, touch of iron. Oak, touch of vanilla and pine/wood from pencil shavings.
Opened up to reveal a lovely oak and tobacco profile with a hint of mocha also. Leather and sweet pepper also present.
This was concentrated and with a long finish showing off the many complex layers of notes. I'd say this had literally perfect balance and acidity; great structure to the wine still and it will keep going.
This was the most "Bordeaux first growth like" of the five bottles I've had so far... a certain very distinct mature claret tertiary note present moreso than before. Lovely!
This was so good. Debating in my head if it should be 97 or 98 points. I might change a few times.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/5/2022 - remyworldpeace Likes this wine: 98 Points
Fourth and hands down best bottle of this I've had - just so well balanced and at a perfect place for drinking.
Brilliant nose (sommelier said akin to 1982 Mouton he'd opened the same afternoon). Cassis, red currants, with some wood and cigar box on nose.
Really bloomed after 60-90mins in a decanter. Palate of cassis, red currant, unripe raspberry along with wonderfully complex tertiary notes of graphite, wood (pine?) and a touch of tobacco.
Still extremely young feeling and no old musky notes nor soy sauce which I'd not enjoyed so much on other bottles. All perfectly balanced, concentrated and everything was in the right place.
Rightfully felt up there with top Cab Savs such as first growth Bdx. Long finish showing off complexity with liquorish note on finish. Best bottle yet and an extremely exciting wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2022 - sdsull Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needed 3h to open. But brilliant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2022 - remyworldpeace wrote: 92 Points
Third bottle I have had of this and this was the weakest as it was a bit soft. Nose and palate dominated by tertiary and old leaf/forest floor notes along with a forward prune/dried fruitiness. Nice acidity and decent structure but lacked the wow of the other two bottles (esp the first which was a solid 96+).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2022 - remyworldpeace Likes this wine: 94 Points
Smelt and tasted next to the excellent 1970 Latour on the same evening remarkable how much younger this seemed. Ripe rather than mature, despite the considerable age to the bottle.
Nose a surprising "Worcester sauce" note - mix of dark fruit and spice.
Rich, complex body to taste. Ripe dark fruit with a certain smoke and meatiness to it. An element of almost sweeter notes as one tastes in something like caramelised onions. Developed in glass and showed quite an interesting tea leaves taste.
Well balanced and great drink. Very smooth although I felt this didn't show quite the same structure and finesse as the previous bottle I had tried. An excellent quality Sassicaia nonetheless and with decades ahead of it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/11/2022 - UPL Likes this wine: 98 Points
what a nose - very elegant - cassis - lead pencil - minty - youthful -
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2021 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 94 Points
1986 Bordeaux plus some supplements (Restaurant Brunnenstube, Beinstein): Popped and poured. Clear, deep garnet color. Nose with lots of elderberries and other fruit, some honey, some tobacco. Very round, soft and elegant.
On the palate great elegance, harmony and balance, but also still an interesting tension and depth. Fine, silky tannin, wonderful acidity. Beautiful length. Drink now or within the next years. I don’t think it will improve. 94-95
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2021 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 96 Points
So elegant and balanced, definitely the best vintage of Sassicaia I've had. Really special wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2021 - remyworldpeace Likes this wine: 96 Points
Lovely deep red with brick tinges around the rim. On the nose, some beautiful, mature notes. Prominent tobacco and smokey wood. On palate base notes of tobacco/smokey wood, black truffles and even black olives. Opens up to some a crescendo of classical red fruity notes - apples, sweeter cherry, grapes.
Overall excellent. Wonderfully balanced and together. One could see this drinking well for another couple of decades at least.
Decanted this for about 30 minutes before drinking and let it open up in glass for the rest of lunch - this seemed to be very well timed and the peak of the wine was stunning.
I am aware of bottle variation but this was definitely a good one! An honour to try and with great company too.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2020 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Just a bit lighter and less intense than the otherworldy 1985, here you find a multi-layered, voluptuously textured wine showing off its tobacco, pepper, sweet, fresh, juicy, cherry and licorice notes at every twist and turn. This is drinking just great today.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2020 - David J Cooper wrote: 95 Points
Light red with clear edges. Smoky road tar, roasted meat, dried mushrooms, brown sugar and cassis. Dry elegant earthy red fruit flavours. The finish is still there, very balanced.
This seemed like a blending of Nebbiolo and Northern Rhone Syrah. Hard to guess it was Bolgheri.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2020 - dagij Likes this wine: 94 Points
Three bottles were bought in the beginning of the 90's, and one was drunk 9 years ago. My impression that time was that this wine was not worthy of the hype. This time, my verdict is a bit different. Deep mahogany colour with an almost black core. Deep tears on the glass. Wonderful nose of secondary/tertiary aromas of tobacco, cedar, camphor, eucalyptus wood, warm earth, but also with a core of sweet fruit in the vein of plums and blackberries. Not at all raisiney. Full bodied, velvety mouthfeel, a fine acidity, and extremely refined and polished tannins. Long aftertaste dominated by tobacco, sweet plums, warm earth and menthe (!). An extremely well made wine that has kept very good, but.... It reminds me of well made Australian Chiraz/Cabernet, and lacks a certain personality. This was not blind. If it had been, I think I would have placed it in Barossa or California. Is that a compliment?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2020 - Cailles wrote: 94 Points
I expected a fully mature (or probably already past its peak) wine but this wine (or bottle) is at least 10 years away from its peak. Probably even more. At first it showed a bit like a young St. Julien with lots of minerality, blue fruit and acidity. With more time the signature Sassicaia character came forward with subtle sweet red fruit and soft structure. Hardly any hints of tertiary aromas. This has the structure and fruit to age further and become more complex as today it‘s like most Sassicaia‘s not overly deep and interesting. 93/94 points.
TN: After time in the decanter the wine opened-up with a nose of wet slate, herbs and sweet red fruit. Same aromas on the palate with just hints of tertiary development with some leather peaking through. Not overly complex but well defined and harmonious. Very good structure and tension with soft tannins and a high but well-integrated acidity (after some air). It has not the complexity, sharpness or length of the best wines but is still quite pleasant, especially as there aren’t that many birth year 88s out there In that quality.
Decanting: Every bottle will be different but this needed two hours in the decanter to reach its peak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2020 - morpheusrising wrote: 90 Points
Honestly pretty boring. Just old world trying to be new world. Well done and still holding, in fact it needs more time, but just not worth the $$$.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2020 - Eriklainen wrote:
Nose opens up immediately, no need for decant. The myriad of perceptible fragments of fragrance is really quite pleasing. Mocha, tobacco (cigar), wet earth, truffle. Fruit is fading and aftertaste is medium at most. It has not turned into a graveyard by any means but this wine is more about smelling than tasting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/13/2020 - JFS23 Likes this wine: 95 Points
PnP at Pizza Beddia. Bottle and cork in excellent condition. Wine was singing from the start. Claret in color and muted aroma (perhaps b/c of the glass type). But the wine was fantastically integrated with a silky texture. Medium + body, medium finish, resolved tannins. Sour cherries and red fruits up front with a background of cola then evolving to cocoa, vanilla and nut - remarkable tertiary flavors. Don't believe this will get more complex and it's probably already peaked but it was a wonderful example of how well an excellent producer can hold up after 3 decades in a bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2019 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 95 Points
Achim's Magnum Tasting 2017 (Berens am Kai 1 star Restaurant): Toller Bordeaux wieder aus Italien. Wirkt verschlossener als der Latour 1996. Ausgeprägte Tertiäraromatik, insbesondere Kaffee und Zigarrenkiste. Für mich jetzt auf seinem Höhepunkt. 95
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/17/2019 - jmoon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very enjoyable. Warm and autumnal and the fruit a bit dried out, past it’s peak but enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2017 - Paul S wrote: flawed
Brian + Sylvia, Pre-Wedding Dinner (Lot 80, Margaret River): First of two sadly corked wines - all cardboard and muted dark fruit over what would have been a nicely polished sense of structure and balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2017 - AV2012 wrote: 91 Points
Wet autumnal forest, soft and meaty, earth, sous-bois as well as dry cigar and a touch of VA. Excellent mouthfeel, superb balance, so good! There's also old lether and sulfur on the nose as well as some rowan berries on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/6/2017 - Ralph_ wrote: flawed
Capsule was oxydiced
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/9/2017 - Purple Tooth wrote: 91 Points
A very mature wine that needs to be drank. Delivers on antique wood, dried fruit and some meat juice. A bit raisiny with super resolved tannins. Today's price is definitely more about label and rarity than the wine inside. This vintage came on the heels of the 1985, and that reflects in the price as well. DRINK
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/15/2017 - JulianSkeels wrote: 95 Points
I really enjoy this wine, but its my first note. For me second only to the Sassicaia of 85, this reminds me most of an 85 St Julien with lots of aromatic cedar and a touch of graphite. In the mouth it lacks great density, but there is still a nice richness and persistence. Elegant winemaking that has higher than expected acidity, drawing you back for another sip. Technically there were better wines at the table tonight but this I enjoyed the most with food. Does not need decanting, popping an pouring is enough since only 10mins in a glass needed.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/27/2017 - Papies wrote: 96 Points
The Athens Wine Event to put all the others to shame (Paleo Reastaurant, Piraeus): Tasted blind. Our friend who brought this in Magnum did not say this was a magnum and served it blind , brilliantly, in 2 flights. One decanted and one not decanted.
Tasting note 2 of 2 the later one disclosed as the non decanted one.
We guessed 90s top level left bank Bordeaux. Comparing it to the decanted that we had before we said, younger, riper, richer. Lovely layers of fruit, dark fruited, depth, complexity and energy that reminded us of the Latour 1990 we tried in the previous flight. An amazing wine pure and elegant. 96
PLS DO NOT decant long as it dries out the fruit. The decanted one we rated 93 and non Decanted 96!!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/27/2017 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
The Athens Wine Event to put all the others to shame (Paleo Reastaurant, Piraeus): Tasted blind. Our friend who brought this in Magnum did not say this was a magnum and served it blind , brilliantly, in 2 flights. One decanted and one not decanted.
Tasting note 1 of 2 the later one disclosed as the decanted one .
We guessed late 80s top level left bank Bordeaux .
Well evolved, mature, forest floor, tobacco notes. Light dark fruit but felt like it was fading. Bright and alive though, firm however also soft and so elegant. Beautifully made wine. Shame though the fruit was on the dry side.
PLS DO NOT decant long as it dries out the fruit. The decanted one we rated 93 and non Decanted 96!!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/10/2016 - MAOC wrote:
Pristine bottle and cork. Soared from the bottle on opening; decanted for an hour and drunk across around 90 mins. Relatively deep red in the glass with only slight signs of age. The fruit is spectacular - intense blackcurrant with a twist of blueberry - high class tobacco with notes of leather, tar, grilled herbs and meat. Didn't change much over the 90 mins though at the margin the fruit showed more beautifully when a touch cooler. A great bottle of this wine, easy *****
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/15/2016 - Lype Likes this wine:
Dried fruit, forest floor, dark tones, good balance and resolved tannins, fairly attractive albeit going gradually downhill.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/9/2016 - David J Cooper wrote: 92 Points
Medium/light red with brown edges. Nutty, earthy red fruit nose. Later it develops some blood and meat notes as it warmed/opened up in the glass. Soft earthy red fruit flavours and a soft dark cherry finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2016 - jfpwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Garnet color with slight brown rim. Leather, sour cherries and earthy tones. Very smooth medium+ body, balanced with good acidity. Very long finish with hints of tobacco. This evolved well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2016 - galenico Likes this wine: 96 Points
Animale opposto a quello bevuto da magnum sei mesi fa: finalmente questo è un vino maturo, anzi: negli anni di beva perfetta!!
Il frutto del Cabernet qui è talmente sferico e maturo, scevro da qualsiasi nota vegetale o verde, da farlo sembrare alla cieca un Bordeaux di Riva Destra con un' alta percentuale di Merlot.
Tabacco, catrame, fumo e spezie del legno preparano a un palato di seta della miglior fattura. Acidità e legno sono ancora molto presenti, ma ormai legati in unione amorosa inscindibile. Scende soave e pacato, con solo 12,5% di alcool ad accarezzare ogni angolo della bocca e del cuore.
Monumento dell' enologia italiana
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/15/2016 - galenico wrote:
SASSICAIA MAGNUM VERTICALE (WINETIP - MILANO): Degustato da Magnum a settembre 2015.
Naso molto complesso che si assesta su toni amari di caffè, catrame e radici. Con l' aria cambia marcia e diventa sempre più fresco e arioso.
Coniuga la freschezza del frutto primario dell' 85 con il carattere più autunnale e terroso dell' 83.
In bocca è meno dolce, meno glicerico e meno mastodontico dell' 85, ma ugualmente teso, acidulo e succoso.
In questo formato consiglio di attendere ancora un pò di anni.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2015 - etyc Likes this wine:
Made the mistake of having this is a smaller glass. However, could still pick up notes of cedar, sandalwood spices on the nose. Silky and sensual on the palate, this was also very fresh with weight/depth to match that of a very good Bord. Very nice!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2015 - AV2012 wrote: 93 Points
All Stars: Compared to Cos d'Estournel '90, this had more vegetal notes on the nose (boiled carrots typical of a CF). There was only 15% of Caberne Franc in the blend, but it was showing. On the nose there was also notes of old leather and initially some basement, but I don't think it was corked. High accidity, it also felt even more fragile or feminine than Cos.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2014 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Sunny
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2014 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
BYOB dinner with Jamie Pollack (Bourbon Steak): Once again, a great showing. Perfectly matured yet fresh Cab nose, lovely red fruits, mineral, also cassis, lead pencil, strong presence of iron which is different than the last bottle, a hint of ash and tar and flower. Medium concentration, silky palate, strong presence of iron/mineral, nicely integrated tannins and seamless long finish. This is drinking incredibly well. Other than a hint of tar, I would guess it as a perfectly mature classic cab if served blind. Lovely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2014 - David J Cooper wrote: 93 Points
Medium red with light edges. Very Bordeaux like nose, cedar, floor dust, coffee, black currant. Very complex nose. Delicious dark cherry and earth flavours and a nice soft finish. Even the finish seems more French then italian. It certainly seems resolved. A bit better then the 86 on this night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2013 - winemaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
This bottle was given to me by a friend who had not stored it correctly. I always figured it would be a dead soldier. I have had it in my cellar for about 9 or 10 years. Fill is at the top shoulder. This is a gorgeous wine showing real class. Red fruits, lead pencil, silky on the palate. Acids and tannins are nicely balanced here. Long finish. A very pleasant surprise on Thanksgiving!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2013 - dcwino wrote: 96 Points
World Wine Symposium 2013 - Kevin and Kelly's excellent adventure; 11/6/2013-11/14/2013 (Villa D’este, Lake Como): Kelly and Orazio who are drink a lot of Sassicaia informed me that this is the second best wine of the 80s after the 85 and this didn’t disappoint. Beautifully matured yet remains fresh, lovely complex red fruits, a hint of licorice, rose, tar, lead pencil and flowers. Medium concentration, silky palate, good acidity and nicely integrated tannins. This is at its peak, not a big wine but showing beautiful harmony and complexity. Very enjoyable and another wine to seek at auction.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/20/2013 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Fruit forward with nice secondary characteristics. Spice, tart fruit. Still quite tannic, young.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2012 - fcpwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
We did not decant this wine for very long. Very fruity, with a hint of licorice. Very easy to drink. It was our favorite in the evening against a 1990.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2012 - quaglia wrote:
Sassicaia! (Roma - Hilton Cavalieri): The weather of 1988 had a similarity with the evolution of almost-perfect 1985. With this vintage, the use of barriques starting to decrease (both leght of stay and I passage).
Crystalline ruby red.
Very, very complex and fine at nose: coffee, violet, incense, salinity and iron minerals. Mediterrean trees.
In mouth, maybe less fruit, but still a lot of texture, minerality and tannins. For me one of the best; going down when opened. ****
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2012 - unclebobmn wrote:
- A Medium finish - Has been in the cellar since December 1991 as a gift from Frank and Stephanie, who signed the bottle. Great wine! Opened and decanted about 7 pm and let it sit for 90 plus minutes. Still enjoying it at nearly 10 pm, holding up really well. Nice balance, nice structure, finishes low in the throat. So VERY sorry it was the only one in the cellar. Thanks, Frank and Stephanie!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2012 - Federsin Likes this wine:
Lunch at IWM - Another very good wine in a string of a good wines at this lunch, followed the 85 Conterno Cicala, opulent, rich but not heavy, with good structure and balance, still has a long life ahead of it
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2012 - wickedwax wrote:
Aromas of dark fruits, earth and forest floor and a touch of herbs. Full-bodied and rich, but with good acidity and very good length. I enjoyed this quite much despite my aversion to what wine represents. Admittedly, it was quite late and my palate was a bit fatigued hence the short tasting note.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2011 - dream wrote: 93 Points
From my original stach. Delicious and Bordeaux-like in it's restraint and class. Hold other bottles for as long as possible as this is ever so slowly coming around. 93+
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2011 - dream wrote: 93 Points
This is aging at a glacial pace (perfectly stored in my cellar since release) but its finally starting to drink well with wonderful dark spicy red fruit. There is a woodsy, forest floor and eucalyptus flavor and the texture is very fine and elegant. Finishes complex and finely concentrated. I think the best days of this wine are yet to come but it's quite a treat to taste now. 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2011 - chapinde wrote: 97 Points
This bottle was fantastic. Not tired at all and showing wonderful tertiary characteristics including some mushroom and loam along with still remaining blackberry, currant, and plum. Tannins were present but had mellowed. In a fabulous place and not going to get any better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2010 - ArntErik wrote:
Much better than the bottle we had in May. Family dinner so not really tasted (and therefore not rated), but an excellent wine that can be kept for years still.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2010 - ArntErik wrote:
Iren was so unhappy with the $900 Leroy Musigny we had with her 50th birthday yesterday, and she was so worried she actually doesn't LIKE old wine, I had to crack something even older open today, in an attempt to kill that theory... So why not a 1988 Sassicaia? (Here I am talking like someone who shits cash. Far from it, the Leroy was given to me from a generous brother-in-law, and the Sassicaia I bought when it had a more decent price, back in 1997.)
So how was it? Well, an ever-so-slight disappointment to be honest. Color-wise it had stood the test of time well, the edge was slightly brown, but less than I expected. The nose was predominantly oak and vanilla, and a slight hint of cat urine. No, really. On the palate still tannic, but well rounded, and good acidity. Not a very impressive length. Round and somewhat thin. This is not a complicated wine. Very good with the turkey from yesterday. Iren is convinced there was something wrong with this, (hint of cork she claimed, and a strange earthy palate) so we didn't rate it, but had we done it we would have given it around 86.
The jury is still out I guess, as to the «do we like old wine?»-question, but there are more oldies were these came from, so the answer will remain unanswered still for some time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2010 - Jossik wrote: 93 Points
Gran bella bocca, molto elegante e fine, un vero bordolese di classe.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2009 - lastone wrote: 90 Points
Never saw the "super intense" WS wine (or the 98 pts); overall not a prized investment, tasting notes indicate "restrained" and "bottle variations" but never tasted young; best experiences were 2005-06: "sweet cab fruit, deep, rich, complex and nuanced"; last one was well balanced (lovely with osso bucco), stately, cab genome not to be denied. This wine has been fully mature for at least 5 years and has started a gradual decline.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2009 - David J Cooper wrote:
Purple, red. Bit of plum and cedar on the nose. Not as obviously Cabernet influenced as the Baron. of course I think this is 100% Cabernet. At the last moment I guessed italian. I concentrated my thoughts on the prior wine so only after un-bagging did I give it some thought. A very nice wine for certain. Still has at least another 10 years of development in front of it. This is at least the second time I have drank this wine from Bill S's cellar and loved it both times.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/16/2008 - steffenpelz wrote:
Rick's Birthday Dinner (Wink Wine Bar): This was really a teriffic wine. Reminiscent of an 80's California Cab with great fruit and a menthol/eucalyptus streak that I've tasted in both 70's and 80's Heitz Martha's and Turnbull wines. Just amazingly soft texture, great balance and a superb finish. Also has that funk that I associate with Italian wines. Needless to say, this wsa killer with food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2008 - noppakit s. wrote: 92 Points
I buy this bottle due to the movie Sideways just to find out how can it seduces one to be a crazy wine-lover.
Italian wine, Sassicaia, never spins me round like Bordeaux that's why I bring Certan de May 1990 to compare and I might say that Sassicaia is always a over-priced wine. Double-priced from Certan 1990 and two steps behind.
As same as Masseto 2000 when compare with Pavie Macquin 2000, it's good but not better than French wine.
One thing I can get from Italian wine is the misdirection, even Gaja, it always exposes the mixed left and right bank altogether. That's fun when making a blind-tasting with friends !!!
This 1988 shows very strong acid but nice and fresh, getting a little fruit with time, nice aftertaste.
I used to drink 1980, 1997 and 2000 that's enough for Sassicaia to me.
....Words of wisdom....There is nothing better than French wines, don't wasted your money, your time, your health...etc....
....Life is too short, right ?....
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2007 - M DU VIN wrote: 94 Points
A delightful bottle of mature Cabernet, with hints of blackberry and soft tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2007 - jivey wrote: 94 Points
Backstreet wine bar Italian tasting- Cedar. pepper, cherry, bit of truffles hugh wine. Drink like it was from a barrel sample, absoultley in perfect condition.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 95 Points
what a wine. nose of mushroom, cassias, red fruit with a little earthiness. smooth mouth with nice spice, great finish with strong fruit, esp considering the age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 95 Points
Phoenix eRP Offline - Italian (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Nose of dark fruit, spice with beautiful earth undertones. Tastes of blackberry, charred oak, caramel and pepper. This wine has tremendous depth and complexity. Great purity of fruit. A long, knockout finish. Wow! My WOTF by a huge margin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2006 - futronic wrote: 93 Points
TWC Wood-a-bridge Offline (Alta Rossa Restaurant, Woodbridge, Canada): Dark ruby colour. Aromas of vanilla and black plums. Medium-full bodied, still showing some good grip, with dark fruit and leather notes. Moderate-long finish, 40s, with sugarplum notes. Just a notch behind the '88 Tignanello on this night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2005 - Vino Me wrote: 93 Points
Pinot Envy and Pinto brought this over to our house yesterday. My wife cooked lamb on the grill. This wine was still going strong. An opulent wine. Not quite up to the standards of the 1990 that I've had but an outstanding wine nonetheless. Despite being a blend of international varietals it is undoubtedly Italian. Cherry, smoke and red berry notes with a floral hint. Always a pleasure. 93 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/4/2005 - Lorien wrote: 93 Points
I was actually positively surprised with this wine. I am not a big fan of CS, and found this to be a lot more to my liking than I expected. It is a very Italian wine in my opinion. The aromas totally scream Italy, where as the flavors of course are very much CS, though on a way lighter (or even elegant) side in my opinion than say a Bordeaux. I have heard people state that this is one of the best Italian wines – personally, though I found it good and even interesting, I can’t think of why anyone would prefer this over a good Barolo. For the cost of this wine, you could buy a really great Barolo, which to me is the way to go if you do decide to buy an Italian wine. It is though a pretty complex wine, with an interesting array of aromas including coffee, prunes and a tiny touch of anis. Very good balance, with very slick acidity, lovely oak and soft integrated tannis. The finish is better than the start that is for sure. Tasty wine, with an elegant approach, that does provide enough power to push it through. It is ready for business and definitely felt matured. I honestly can’t see it improving, though should cellar nicely till its 20th birthday. Overall I liked it, but can’t see myself ever buying another bottle. To me it was a 93/100 wine, and one of the more enjoyable CSs I have had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2005 - conadoc wrote: 95 Points
Had wine with quail in pear halves and pasta with olives in Dataw. Superb wine. Mature, rounded, very little tannin, robust fruit and plenty of life ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2004 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
Pre-HDR offline at Alloro: Rich black fruit - Bordeaux varieties? Medium-bodied, black cherry fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/9/2003 - Blair Curtis wrote: 95 Points
The '88 Sassicaia showed very young, but was excellent. Still buoyed by fine tannins, this wine can easily go another 10 years. There is a nose on Italian Cabernet that is difficult to describe, but easy to recognize - this wine has it in spades.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/5/1999 - mdefreitas wrote: 90 Points
Pre Auction Wine Tasting w/ lots of Sassicaia (NYC): More fruit than the older vintages of this wine I had tried that day. Acidic structure. Firm. Nice wine that will hold. Very nice finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment