Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido 2020 75cl

Sassicaia is the wine that invented the Super Tuscan category, and the 2020 is a graceful, classically proportioned vintage. Made at Tenuta San Guido in Bolgheri from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, it remains one of Italy's most collected reds and the only single estate to hold its own DOC.

The story began in the 1940s when the Incisa della Rocchetta family planted Bordeaux varieties near the Tuscan coast, inspired by the wines of the Medoc. What was once a private experiment became a global icon. The maritime climate of Bolgheri gives ripeness with freshness, and the wine ages in French oak barriques.

The 2020 shows a deep ruby colour and a nose of cassis, black cherry, cedar, pencil shavings and a Mediterranean lift of bay and dried herbs. The palate is elegant and finely structured, with cool blackcurrant fruit, silky tannins and a long, savoury, graphite-tinged finish. It has the polish of fine Bordeaux with an unmistakably Tuscan warmth.

At around £278 this is an investment-grade wine and a special-occasion pour. Approachable now with a decant, but built to age gracefully for 15 years or more.

How to Serve

Serve at 16-18C in a large Bordeaux glass. Decant at least an hour, ideally two.

Where to Drink It

Locanda Locatelli in Marylebone for refined Italian. Harry's Bar in Mayfair for occasion dining. Noble Rot Soho for a knowing cellar.

Food Pairings

Bistecca alla Fiorentina, or roast rib of beef with rosemary.