1978 Sassicaia
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
This is such an impressive retrospective of Italian greatness and the 1978 Sassicaia is another surprise hit within that context. The wine delivers a remarkable sense of integrity and fullness with dark fruit, pressed rose and lavender, canned fruit, savory spice, barbecue spice and a sharp touch of sour cherry that grabs your attention at the end. The intensity of the bouquet underlines the warm Tuscan growing conditions and the ease in which optimal ripeness can be achieved in this sun-kissed territory. The fine tannins are folded neatly within the wine's streamlined texture. The 1978 vintage shows strong signs of life.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Quite a light vintage – made without agronomists or vine management, we were reminded. First bottle pretty oxidised nose. Second bottle apparently lightly oxidised but then it blossomed. But very sweet and rich and slightly high in VA. But sleek and there is much more meat to it than most red bordeaux 1978. Very lively. Flirtatious. Quite high in acidity. But lovely stuff! (JR)
Mature, thick and lots of sediment. Definite old nose. Healthy sheen. Old and meaty. Lots of amazing fruit despite age. Drying, but impressive. Good core of fruit. (JR)
About the producer
Tentuta San Guido produces Sassicaia – Italy’s most famous wine. An icon from the Bolgheri coastline of Tuscany, made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, its rise to prominence in the late 1970s sparked the Super Tuscan revolution.