(85% cabernet sauvignon and 15% cabernet franc): Deep red-ruby. Knockout nose combines raspberry, dark cherry, smoke, coffee, minerals and sexy coconutty oak. Then rich and very complex without any undue weight on the palate, offering deep, concentrated flavors of dark cherry, blackberry, cassis, balsamic herbs and cedar. This still very young wine offers a rare combination of density, intensity of flavor and vinosity, finishing with fine-grained tannins and subtle notes of pepper and herbs. Along with the 2004, this is my choice for the best Sassicaia of the last 20 years, in a classic, ultra-clean and refined style. The 2001 vintage in Bolgheri was characterized by a deep freeze at Easter time (with temperatures down to -6°C), which greatly reduced eventual vine yields and caused a 10%-15% decrease in overall production. A cooler than average September prolonged the ripening and brought more hang time for the fruit, allowing for optimal ripeness and the potential for complex, long-lived wines.

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Very cool vintage. Very dark with some black in the colour still. Rather a burnt, tarry note. Even a hint of green, then rather opulent and velvety on the palate though with marked acid and tannin still. This seems more youthful than the 2004! Very vigorous, but with lots still to give. A second bottle was poured. It had a much more developed, flattering nose. Mellifluous and a bit more developed.

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Beautiful aromas of summer fruits and hints of cream. Then turns to dried Provençal herbs, such as rosemary. Well-defined Sass. Full-bodied, with sleek, refined tannins and a silky finish. All in finesse. Classy wine. Almost chewy. Reminds me of the excellent 1997, but this is slightly better. Give it time.

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Excellent wine. Decanted for 2 hours and it opened up very nicely. There's no way to tell that this is Italian as it tastes like very good bordeaux. Multi-layered, good balance with long finish. Highlight of the evening.