Tenuta San Guido - Sassicaia 2012
Pairing Suggestions
One of my all time favourite red iconic wines.
Tenuta San Guido - Sassicaia Bolgheri 2012 (90 tsomw points)
I know still young but with so many potential. In the glass a dark red color.
In the nose saddle leather, caramel, forest floor, blackberries and raspberries.
The same on the palate, medium/big body, lots of soft tannins, lovely and rich tasting, will peak in 5 or more years.
D.O.C. Bolgheri Sassicaia
First vintage: 1968
Grape blend: 85 % Cabernet Sauvignon 15 % Cabernet Franc
Soil composition: The vineyards are planted on plots of land with different and composite morphological characteristics, as well as with a strong presence of limestone. These areas are also rich in rocks and rather rich in clay and are located at an altitude between 100 and 300 meters above sea level, facing West - South/West.
Vine training: Cordon spur system
Planting density: Between 3.600 to 5.500 vine stocks/Ha for older vineyards and 6.200 vine stocks/Ha for newer vineyards.
Climate: The climate for the 2012 vintage was rather special. Autumn and Winter were long and cold, to the point that at the end of January the Bolgheri hills were covered with snow. Bolgheri experienced a cold, yet rainless fall and winter, which was not the case for other parts of Tuscany. Cold temperatures were favorable for the halting of the vegetative growth and the natural elimination of some pests of the vine. The spring started with a slight delay, causing the vines to bud 10 - 15 days later than the seasonal average. From the beginning of May, however, the temperatures rose and accelerated the arrival of summer. June rainfall partially reconstituted the water reserves of the soil. The summer was very hot, with sunny days and temperatures above the seasonal average. Although some have likened the summer of 2012 to that of 2003, the difference lies in the considerable fluctuations in temperature between night and day which prevented water stress in plants in 2012. During the fruit set period, strong sea winds were partially responsible for a production loss of about 10% . The summer was long, with very high daytime temperatures requiring an early harvest of the Merlot as well as part of the Cabernet.
Harvest: The hand picking of the grapes began in early September with Cabernet Franc since they were the first to reach an excellent phenolic ripeness. The Cabernet Sauvignon was next between the first 10 days of September until the first days of October ending with the historical vineyard on the heights of Castiglioncello di Bolgheri. The harvest was perfect with healthy grapes, a regular veraison and no millerandage (irregular growth of the berries).
Wineproducer: www.tenutasanguido.com