1 | Wine | Red Bordeaux Blend, Tuscany, 86 or higher

"The 2008 Bolgheri Superiore Sor Ugo boasts terrific richness and depth in its super-ripe plums, blackberries, spices, mint and wild flowers. Seamless and opulent, the 2008 captures the essence of this great Maremma vintage. Layers of fruit crescendo on the plush, racy finish."

"The 2010 Guidalberto comes across as cool and inward in this vintage. Most recent Guidalbertos have been delicious upon release, but this is a wine that will need another year or two before it starts opening up. There is plenty of energy and vitality in the glass, but readers will need to be patient. Dark red cherries, flowers, licorice and a hint of tobacco are layered into the firm, structured finish."

"The 2010 Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia shows off tons of concentration and sheer depth. Mocha, espresso, dark cherries and plums are some of the many notes that take shape in the glass. The 2010 is a decidedly powerful, virile wine endowed with considerable power. It will be interesting to see how the layers of flavor flesh out once the wine has been bottled. For now, the 2010 is a highly promising Serre Nuove."

"The 2009 Ornellaia caresses the palate with layers of seamless, radiant fruit. Sweet red berries, mocha, flowers, new leather and spices are some of the many notes that are layered in this sumptuous, totally beautiful wine. The 2009 stands out for its silky tannins and phenomenal overall balance. This is one of those wines that will probably enjoy a long drinking window. There is little question the ability to blend grape varieties was a huge help in this vintage."

"The 2009 Greppicante ratchets up the intensity of fruit in a round, seamless style laced with dark fruit, mocha, spices and French oak. Elements of slight over-ripeness come through on the finish."

"This is fantastic. Intense and super long on the palate. It's insanely complex yet subtle with so much going on, with a beautiful balance and tension. It is full and powerful with a big and juicy character that goes on for minutes. Muscular yet covered with plenty of fruit. Elegance with force. Hard not to drink."
James Suckling - 98 pts

"Bright full ruby. Pure, perfumed aromas of blackberry, cassis, lead pencil, violet and minerals, complicated by a superripe note of crushed raspberry. Extremely primary and pure, offering sharply defined cassis, violet and mineral flavors of great class. The perfectly integrated acidity and a vibrant floral character from the cabernet franc give the middle palate terrific lift. Though very ripe in its flavor profile, this wine conveys a rare lightness of touch that is typical of Sassicaia but rare for this vintage on the Tuscan Coast. Finishes with noble tannins and outstanding palate-staining length. For all its creamy power and charm, I really like this wine's balance and the subtle delivery of its complex flavors. I have tasted every vintage of Sassicaia on countless occasions and, other than the legendary 1985, I have no doubt that this is one of the two or three best Sassicaias at a similar stage of development."

"It is a fabulous effort from Rampolla. The 2006 D’Alceo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, is a much tighter-wound wine than the Sammarco but it also seems to be holding back a lot more sheer density in reserve. Full-bodied, rich and monstrously tannic at this stage, it doesn’t taste too different than it did when I first sampled it from tank in November 2006! The wine possesses dazzling inner perfume, refined tannins that need time to emerge and exceptional overall balance."

"The 2009 Sassicaia is unusually big, rich and opulent. Layers of fruit saturate the palate as the 2009 explodes from the glass with a heady melange of dark berries, plums, menthol, licorice and new leather. This is an especially racy Sassicaia. Readers who enjoy the classicism of Sassicaia are likely to find the 2009 too rich, especially at this early stage. The wine needs at least a few years in bottle to drop some of its baby fat. Despite its huge fruit, the 2009 is also pretty closed down and not anywhere close to being ready to show off its pedigree. Sassicaia is arguably Italy’s most famous wine, so it’s always great when it lives up to its reputation."

"Already harmonious and supple, this red offers black cherry, raspberry and floral flavors, showing both intensity and finesse. Bright and focused, with refined tannins and a lingering aftertaste that echoes berry and spice."

"Explodes onto the palate with masses of rich, opulent fruit that caress the palate with gorgeous length and a seamless beauty that is hard to fully capture. Dark wild cherries, plums, spices, minerals and herbs develop in the glass. This is an especially bold, perhaps slightly uncharacteristic Sassicaia in its extroverted personality, but it is beautiful all the same. The inner perfume and sweetness carries through the long finish, where the sheer weight and glycerol of the fruit leaves a lasting impression."