San Guido
Guidalberto
VINTAGE
2021
COUNTRY
Italy
TABLE #
308
REGION
Toscana IGT
92
Concentrated and dense, with dark fruit flavors of blackberry, blueberry and black currant, this red also reveals black olive and iron accents. The tannins clamp down for now, yet this is balanced overall, with everything well-proportioned. Long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2038. 35,400 cases made.
Sassicaia means “the place of many stones,” and refers to the region’s gravel soil. The original vineyards have a southwest exposure with extensive sun and maritime breezes that create robust vegetation. The grapes were handpicked, destemmed and crushed before fermenting with natural yeasts for 15 days in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine was aged in French oak barriques (40% new) for 24 months, then refined for 6 months in bottle before release.
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot
Aged in partly French oak and 15% in American oak for 15 months. Use of 40% new wood, 40% second passage and 20% third/fourth passage.
2021 was a vintage of great quality, although it was limited in quantity. After a somewhat rainy autumn and with temperatures above the seasonal norm, the winter was rather harsh, especially with the arrival of the “Burian” perturbation of polar origin which caused temperatures to drop below. However, it was a favorable situation because of the vegetative standstill of the plants and the elimination of a large part of the insects and parasites harmful to the vine. After a first timid beginning of spring, which occurred at the end of March, with a rise in temperatures which had caused the buds of the earliest Merlot vines to swell, a perturbation of cold air of Atlantic origin brought back the intense cold with temperatures close to 32°F. The continuation of spring was somewhat rainy until mid-May when the heat and beautiful sunny days took over. The month of June was regular with normal temperatures, while July was hotter with temperatures above the seasonal average, both during day and night. The high temperatures have led agronomists to intervene with the natural product “kaolin” to protect the vine leaves and avoid stress. The intense heat continued in the first part of August and on August 16th a perturbation brought some rain. The temperatures dropped back into the seasonal norm. This providential climate change allowed the grapes to carry out an excellent phenolic ripening. The manual harvest took place at a good pace, starting with the harvest of Merlot at the end of August. This providential climate change that has allowed the grapes to carry out an excellent phenolic ripening. The harvest took place at a good pace, concentrating the picking during the coolest hours of the day.
A full-bodied wine of intense red fruit flavor and elegantly supple texture supported by ripe, silky tannins. The Merlot in the blend is expressed in sweet black fruit with overall aromas of ripe, concentrated berries offset by restrained spicy oak notes.
Pair with meat sauce pastas and roasted meats.
