Sassiacaia 2009

A surprising wine considering how the vintage was initially so undervalued. And yet this is one of the greatest Sassicaia vintages, a classic like the ‘88, complex as a Pauillac Premier Cru. The color is an intense, dark ruby with almost bluish reflections. The aromas are spicy with scents of cinchona followed by notes of blackcurrant, blueberry and elegant mentholated accents. The mouthfeel is taut but already balanced with thick yet sweet tannins. A wine that distinctly stands out as the best vintage of the millennium’s first decade.

The 2009 Sassicaia is unusually big, rich and opulent. Layers of fruit saturate the palate as the 2009 explodes from the glass with a heady melange of dark berries, plums, menthol, licorice and new leather. This is an especially racy Sassicaia. Readers who enjoy the classicism of Sassicaia are likely to find the 2009 too rich, especially at this early stage. The wine needs at least a few years in bottle to drop some of its baby fat. Despite its huge fruit, the 2009 is also pretty closed down and not anywhere close to being ready to show off its pedigree. Sassicaia is arguably Italy’s most famous wine, so it’s always great when it lives up to its reputation.