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Sassicaia 1985

Tenuta San Guido, Tuscany, Italy

Tenuta San Guido
Tuscany Italy
  • 100
    Points
  • The 27 best
    of 3 290 954
    wines globally
  • 42 Pros of
    43 recommend
    this wine
304 100
  • Taste
  • Moment
  • BWW -Best Wine of the World 1980's
    WINNER

  • Country ranking ?

    1

  • Producer ranking ?

    1

  • Decanting time

    2h

  • When to drink

    now to 2035

  • Food Pairing

    Spring lamb served pink with fresh herbs

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

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BWW- Best Wine of the 1980’s -Competition's winners have been selected!

The winner is Sassicaia 1985

First time ever, a whole decade was included in to the BWW-competition. Results of the largest 1980’s tasting in this century were surprising – the best wine of the 1980’s comes from Italy.

In the Finals, 250 best wines from vintages 1980-1989, chosen by tastingbook.com wine professionals, were evaluated and ranked as blind by the pane...

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The Story

After almost 30 years of experimentation and solid work the Marquis decided to release Sassicaia´s 1968 vintage to the open market using his cousin´s, Antinori´s distribution network in the early 1970s, with instant sensation. At a Decanter tasting of Cabernet wines in London, 1978, Sassicaia from vintage 1972 beat all the other 33 wines of France and California, and since then Sassicaia has been one of the leading wines in the world and in gr...

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Wine Information

The climate in the Spring 1985 was extremely consistent. Germination in the vineyards and of the individual plants also proved to be very consistent. Favourable weather conditions allowed for optimal flowering. A perfect vegetation cycle, favoured a proper development of the grapes and bunches. Secondary sprouting was not precocious, permitting normal growth control. The summer was very hot, with a good and somewhat hot autumn, in its beginnin...

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Average Bottle Price

2015 2012 2010 2005 1750
1 345€ +41.0% 954€ +75.4% 544€ +105.3% 265€ -86.9% 2 019€

This data comes from the FINE Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions in 20 countries. The average prices from each year have been collected since 1990. This chart plots the index value of the average price of the wines.

Tasting note

color

Deep, Ruby red and Dark

ending

Long, Vibrant and Lingering

flavors

Blackcurrant, Voluptuous, Tobacco, Cedar, Chocolate and Blackberry

nose

Open, Complex, Pure and Refined

recommend

Yes

taste

High in Acidity, Warming, Medium tannin, Concentrated, Perfectly balanced, Complex, Developing, Medium-bodied, Fruity, Firm, Harmonious, Sweet and Drying tannins

Verdict

Excellent and Well-rounded

Written Notes

The best vintage of the 1980s in Tuscany was by far the 1985. And the best wine of that year in Italy was Sassicaia. This vintage is in a different league from any other Sassicaia ever made, even the legendary 1972. Moderately intense, ruby red colour. Very open and complex nose full of violets, ripe blackcurrants, dark chocolate, cedar wood, spices and tobacco. Rich medium-bodied palate shows fresh acidity and intense sweet dark fruit alongside ripe velvety tannins. The taste is very concentrated, savoury and long-lasting. A really elegant wine with enough energy to hold well for years or even decades.
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  • 99p
The closer came next, and it was a fitting one, a 1985 Sassicaia. Laura found it ‘sappy and ripe but elegant.’ This was a deep, complex wine that just smacked down a certain, unnamed 1985 claret for which I couldn’t even take a note. The ’85 Sassy was truly a great and profound Cabernet. It was rich, saucy and concentrated, and while ripe it was 110% serious. Tom was loving it, and flavors of charcoal and chocolate lightly caressed my palate in a sensual way. This still had plenty of chunk in the trunk, a definite ‘wow’ wine (97).
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  • 97p

Der legendäre 1985 Sassicaia, der nach einer längeren, verschlossenen Phase vor ein paar Jahren wieder zu dieser überragenden Form auflief, bleibt aus sehr gut gelagerten Flaschen der wohl beste, je auf diesem Gut produzierte Wein. Immer noch so jung wirkend, so kräftig und konzentriert mit traumhafter, süchtig machender Frucht, mit unerhörtem, aromatischem Druck und gewaltiger, fruchtiger Fülle, so komplex, tief und lang – WT100

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  • 100p

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, spices, fruity, denser, some jammy notes nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark berries, anise, spices, nuanced, detailed, spices, long. 96

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  • 96p

Magnum. Amazing depth of colour and luminosity. So sweet and robust. Rather out of the mainstream line of finesse, but so delicious and apparently indestructible. So wonderful I just lost myself in it rather than writing a tasting note. Tasted: 01-Jul-2013

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  • 100p
Probably one of the finest Sassicaia. Opaque ruby-purple colour. Powerful and intense nose with loads of blackcurrants and vanilla, new oak, fresh herbs, black olive, chocolate and pine needles. Well-balanced, heavy-bodied structure with intense ripe dark fruit displaying refined firmness. The very classy, long, mineral finish is delicately rich and quite harmonious. The wine still has still very good potential for further ageing. 97 points
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  • 98p
Moderately intense, ruby red colour. Open, complex and so seductive - blackcurrants, cappuccino and dark chocolate. Medium-bodied palate shows lovely acidity, supple powdery tannins and concentrated ripe, almost jammed blackcurrant flavours. A long and aristocratic finish with rich dark chocolate character. So First Growth Claret -like!!
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  • 98p
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Information

Origin

Toscana, Tuscany

Vintage Quality

Above Average

Value For Money

Very good

Investment potential

Very Good

Fake factory

None

Glass time

2h

Drinking temperature

16

Inside Information

100 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

 Oddly enough, the 1985 Sassicaia was the wine least commented during the conversations that followed this retrospective. Our panel consisted of some two dozen professional wine tasters from around the world, and virtually not a word was uttered with regards to this wine. That's how truly outstanding it is. The soaring beauty of this landmark Sassicaia literally transcends the rather mundane realm of wine critique with its string of adjectives and wearisome descriptors. It hardly deserves to be treated like any of the other gorgeous wines we tasted on this glorious day. In truth, the 1985 Sassicaia does reveal a new perspective onto its perfection each time you have the fortune to taste it. I noticed a layer of bright almond-like sweetness that I don't recall tasting before. The wine seems to be getting younger, not older. Even its appearance is remarkable. Of the various samples presented from the 1980s, this wine exhibited the brightest garnet color and the most youthful personality. It shows stunning volume. The integration is seamless and the wine's many complicated pieces fit together with utmost precision like a jigsaw puzzle that renders a most beautiful Italian masterpiece when admired at completion. 

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