2020 Sassicaia – Tenuta San Guido (Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC)
The 2020 Sassicaia is a wine of quiet grandeur—youthful, noble and already striking in its composure. The nose opens with restrained elegance: dark berries, myrtle, cedar and graphite, framed by hints of wild herbs and maritime breeze. On the palate, it is linear and racy, carried by finely etched tannins and a vibrant spine of acidity that drives the wine with calm determination. This vintage is not about weight but precision and length, finishing with lingering notes of blackcurrant, tobacco leaf and stony minerality. A beautifully sculpted Sassicaia—classical in architecture and destined to age with grace. Corked Points: 96
2004 Tignanello – Marchesi Antinori (Toscana IGT)
Now entering its prime, the 2004 Tignanello has shed its youthful edges to reveal depth, warmth and beautiful Tuscan soul. Aromas of macerated cherries, leather, dried violets and sweet pipe tobacco rise from the glass, intertwined with notes of cocoa, bay leaf and dusty terracotta. The palate is silky and harmonious, showing Sangiovese’s clarity of fruit wrapped in savory complexity, with Cabernet lending quiet structure. Long, graceful and emotionally resonant, this is a landmark vintage that proves Tignanello’s enduring stature as a modern Italian classic. Corked Points: 95
2016 Barbaresco “Gallina” – Roagna
A wine of haunting purity and terroir focus, Roagna’s 2016 Gallina is Nebbiolo in its most unvarnished, transparent form. The bouquet is compelling: sour cherry, rose petal, orange peel and wild strawberry layered over tones of anise, wet stone and delicate forest earth. The palate is finely etched and tensile, driven by vibrant acidity and intricate tannins that feel woven rather than extracted. There is no artifice—just energy, clarity and an unflinching expression of vineyard and vintage. This is Barbaresco for purists, built not for flash but for truth. Corked Points: 97
Sommeliers diary #44 9th October 2025
