85 / 100 Robert Parker It’s hard not to wonder what exactly is going on at this famous estate of the Tuscan coast, the producer of Italy’s first international level Cabernet, and the 2000 Sassicaia is not going to resolve the perplexities. A reasonably fresh but not particularly concentrated ruby in color, its nose is rather evolved, with aromas which seem considerably older than its birth certificate. Medium-bodied and reasonably energetic, it is rather lean on the mid-palate, dry and somewhat tough on the finish. That the 2000 vintage was not a resounding success is anything but surprising, but the last really distinguished Sassicaia was the 1988, which already seems like a blast from the past, a nostalgia trip with little relevance to the present. What’s the problem here? It’s anyone’s guess, but acreage has more than doubled since 1988, and all the wine goes into one mega-cuvee, old vines and young vines, vineyards which have historically given the estate’s best wine and others with no track record whatsoever. This may be a revolutionary approach, but, if it’s correct, everyone in Bordeaux is crazy, something I have some difficulty in accepting. Wine Advocate #152 Apr 2004
93 / 100 Wine Spectator Shows its class. Loaded with fruit. Rich yet balanced, with lots of jammy and plummy character. Full-bodied, with round tannins and a silky finish. Exotic. Sass made excellent wine again in a less than easy year. Best after 2006. 16,600 cases made. http://www.winespectator.com/wine/detail/source/search/not..
16.5 / 20 Jancis Robinson Mid ruby with orange rim. Autumnal leaf and a touch of nuttiness but great fruit underneath. Quite juicy and gripping red fruit. Not extremely polished and just a tiny bit stalky, but has real grip and character. http://www.jancisrobinson.com/tastings/search?perpMagnum.%..
