Bolgheri · Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot
2020s
A more even season on the coast; ripe but balanced Bordeaux varieties with good freshness. Promising. Ageing. Ageing · releases 2027
Coastal Tuscany battled spring Peronospora; Cabernet fared better than Merlot. A warm, dry summer firmed up the survivors — a fresher, mid-weight style. Releasing 2026
Good/Variable. A cooler year with some rain; favors Cabernet Franc over Merlot. Fresh style. Released 2025
Hot/Dry. Rich and fruit-forward, but surprisingly manageable tannins. Released 2024
Exceptional. Vibrant, intense, and structured. Rivals 2016 and 2019. Released 2023
Very good; warm and approachable. Delicious now. Released 2022
2010s
Classic. A return to the power/elegance balance of 2016. Stunning. Released 2021
Fresh/Cool. A "finesse" vintage. Less power, more aromatics. Released 2020
Hot/Drought. Wines are concentrated and ripe, but better managed than 2003.
The Goat. (Greatest of All Time). Deep, vertical, and endless. The modern benchmark.
Perfect. Powerful, ripe, and seamless. A crowd-pleasing blockbuster year.
Challenging/Cool. While Chianti suffered, Bolgheri Cabernets survived better. Elegant, lighter wines.
Classic. A cool vintage producing precise, chiseled, and long-lived wines.
Excellent. Surprisingly fresh despite a dry summer. Great balance.
Hot/Solar. Rich, chocolaty, and powerful.
Classic. Cool, late harvest. Wines have incredible tension and elegance.
2000s
Very good; warm, fleshy, and approachable.
Superb. Cool, windy year. Wines are intense, aromatic, and very "Bordeaux-like."
Warm and ripe; lush wines for medium-term drinking.
Monumental. Powerful, concentrated, and structured. 100-point wines galore.
Very good; fresh and vibrant.
Classic. Elegant, perfumed, and refined. A benchmark year.
Heatwave. Wines are massive, jammy, and low acid.
Disastrous. Rain. Sassicaia was not even produced (grapes went into the second label).
Classic. Perfect balance. Deep, structured, and age-worthy.
Hot year; wines were fleshy and evolved quickly.
1990s
Excellent; powerful and tannic.
Superb. Often considered superior to '97 by purists. Deep, cool power.
Historic. Hot, lush, and acclaimed. The vintage that made "Super Tuscans" global stars.
Very good; classic, fresh, and structured.
Excellent. Cool, long ripening. Wines have great finesse and depth.
Very good; the first official year of the Bolgheri Rosso DOC.
Average; decent but lacks depth.
Difficult; rain diluted the wines.
Good; fresh and approachable.
Legendary. Ripe, lush, and hedonistic. Masseto '90 is a legend.
1980s
Good, but rain affected the harvest.
Superb. Structured, austere, and powerful. A collector's favorite.
Good; cooler and more "Cabernet-like" (green pepper notes).
Excellent; often forgotten because of '85, but stunningly long-lived.
The Icon. Sassicaia 1985 is arguably the most famous Italian wine ever made (100 pts). Perfect.
Poor; cold and wet.
Excellent; very consistent quality.
Classic. Ripe, opulent, and legendary.
Very good; overshadowed by '82 but very elegant.
Cool year; wines were lean and spicy.
1970s
Good, but lighter.
Superb. A powerful, classic vintage. Sassicaia '78 is famous.
Excellent; widely underappreciated but has held up well.
Rainy and difficult.
Very good; warm and ripe.
Good; elegant and balanced.
Average quality.
Surprisingly good for Bolgheri (terrible elsewhere in Italy). Sassicaia '72 is a cult favorite.
Good, but overshadowed by the great Tuscan Sangiovese vintage of '71.
Very good; solid structure and has aged surprisingly well.
1960s
Rainy and difficult.
Historic. The commercial debut of Sassicaia. A legendary, immortal wine.
