January 24, 2024 - Damp leather, still some dark red fruit on the nose. Tannins have mellowed over the years for an extemeely well balanced and delicate taste. Allow only 30min decant then cover - low-medium sediment on the decant
January 4, 2024 - Dodgy looking bottle from auction for £160 and boy was it worth it. The wine is just perfectly balanced across the red fruits, earth and tobacco box flavours and acidity. Beautiful wine and really struggled to share!
September 16, 2023 - The most complex nose with mature fruit, tobacco , coffee and vanilla. Low tannins , imperceptible alcohol , mod acid.
Enjoyed immensely with an aged ribeye.
Ready to drink.
August 24, 2023 - Popped and poured and this was ready to go 20 min later. A wine drinking at its absolute peak. Fully resolved tannins with exceptional balance and length. These should be enjoyed within the next 3 years. Revisit 2025
August 23, 2023 - Very well balanced. Good color. Appealing nose. Drinking well. No decant. Probably has 5-8 more years.
August 12, 2023 - Took a good decant for the mushrooms to disappear. Not too many brownish notes considering the age. Quite tertiary with forest, wood notes and some red fruits.
July 28, 2023 - Drinking well brick red. Smooth tannins. Has 5-8 more years.
June 3, 2023 - Excellent. Deep red. Alluring nose. Likely as good as it’s going to get. Has 5-8 more years.
June 3, 2023 - 18 months since my last bottle. A very refined and subdued wine with great complexity and balance. This required an hour in the glass to somewhat unfurl but didn’t fully reveal itself today. This is in its prime with another decade of optimal drinking. Revisit 2026
April 30, 2023 - Vertical Tasting Seven Vintages from 1997 to 2018.
2018. Dark red. Cherry nose and rather closed. Light body, bright to sharp acid. Dark cherry, fine but young tannin. Long finish.
2013 Very dark red. Cherry, cassis, wood but not vanilla, white pepper nose. Terrific intensity on the welcoming palate - dark fruit, cherry, and blackberry. So light on its feet, and really athletic. Acid is obvious, tannin is firm on the finish but that is equalled by the intense fruit. Long finish.
2011 Very dark with a mahogany edge. Green pepper, cherry, and airy. Much larger body than the younger wines; it's mouth-filling. As with the 2013, the acid is obvious but balanced, in context. Leather, cherry, long finish... so impressive. the tannin is obvious on the finish. Later in the evening, the fruit is even more exotic.
2000 Dark red and mahogany edge. Peanut, smoke nose but ripe enough. Palate has cherry, leather, and some spice. Good concentration.
1999 Dark red mahogany cast. Green pepper, cherry nose. Very concentrated in a medium body. Palate has leather and cherry fruit. Balance is excellent, tannin is suave. Not the longest finish.
1998 Very dark with mahogany edge. Nose with green pepper and dark fruit and fruit liqueur. Leather and sweet cherry palate, so complex. Great length to the finish.
1997 Very Dark red and mahogany cast. Green pepper, horse sweat in the intense and mature nose. Green pepper then cherry then leather on the palate with great intensity.
Summary: I pick the 1997 as the best Sassicaia tonight and the 2011 is the wine with the best future.
Mystery wine: Very dark red, white pepper, blackberry nose. Cassi on the light-bodied palate. Tannin is drying and this seems not as ripe as the other wines tonight. I guessed it to be 10 to 15 years old and from California's north coast mountainside.... it is Haut Brion 2002.