The 2020 vintage was a hot vintage in Bolgheri. For Sassicaia, where the blend is solely of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, it was likely a more difficult harvest because there was a heat spike around the time that these later ripening varieties were due to be harvested. The team at San Guido needed to work quickly. However, as hot vintages are becoming more and more common, they are now prepared for such eventualities and have a large team available at harvest time should rapid picking be required.

The growing season did not start off warm – in March cold weather came down from Russia, and there was even some freezing. Cabernet Sauvignon was not affected as it buds later, but Cabernet Franc was, resulting in lower yields for this varietal, but more concentration and higher quality. Some rain in July and August was of real benefit to the vines. The harvest started in the first week of September for the younger Cabernet Franc vineyards and ended in the last week of the month with the picking of the Cabernet Sauvignon at the highest altitude.

The alcoholic fermentation was completely spontaneous without addition of external yeasts and was finished by the end of October, while malolactic ferments were finished by the end of November. The wine then went into barrique. Only 45% of barriques were new, while a further 45% were first passage and the remaining 10% second passage. San Guido takes huge care in buying their barriques each year and has found that they must return as much as 25% of what they buy each year because Brettanomyces is more common in new barrels as the climate changes, as Carlo Paoli explained to Monica Larner of the Wine Advocate.

An observation widely shared by the press is that the wine is very approachable already, unlike Sassicaia in cool vintages, but no less beautiful because of that. I attach a selection of reviews, which are very positive. Having tasted the wine in April, I can state that the wine is indeed already very seductive, notable for its balsamic character, silky texture and a very long finish.