Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido 1985

Wow, this is practically bursting out of the glass and out of the line-up. Black olive tapenade, salty anchovy tang, rosemary and sage, against the black cherry and redcurrant fruit. Incredible testament to the life possible in Sassicaia. Get hold of this wine if you possibly can. The still-present tannins are not trying to exert an influence, they are simply confident of keeping the fruit gently cradled and in line. A peculiar vintage because of a very cold winter, where 80% of the olive trees in Tuscany were destroyed. It no doubt contributed to the low yields, as did the long, sunny and dry growing season. This is an iconic wine that is proving its worth and then some. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc.

...the wine that blew me away was the 1985 Sassicaia, a wine that I have consistently given a 100-point score. We were lucky enough to have the daughter of the estate present. We had purchased 12 magnums of this wine from her family's estate, and she said it was only the second time in her life that she had ever had it. As I have written before, I believe it is one of the half dozen or so greatest wines made in the 20th century, and is the greatest wine made anywhere in the world in 1985. It boasts a blue/purple color as well as a depth of purity, stunning crème de cassis and blueberry fruit notes intermixed with acacia flowers, and a full-bodied opulence that is incredibly fresh and remarkable. It has 50-75 years of aging potential.

Wine Advocate #E2002 (Feb 1997) Robert Parker 100 points
I had this wine in a blind tasting - I have had it frequently, and have never failed to give it a perfect rating. At the same time, I have often mis-identified it in blind tastings as the 1986 Mouton-Rothschild. In this tasting, the wine was phenomenal. The color remains an opaque purple. The bouquet is beginning to develop secondary aromas of cedar and truffles to go along with its intense cassis, black-raspberry, blackberry, tarry, toasty personality. Exceptionally dense, concentrated, and full-bodied, this wine possesses layers of concentrated fruit that are beautifully balanced by the wine's sweet tannin and well-integrated acidity. The finish lasts for nearly a minute. A monumental Cabernet Sauvignon, it is one of the greatest wines made this century. Tasting after tasting continues to confirm this wine's surreal level of quality. Despite being 11 years old, it remains youthful. My best guess for when it will reach full maturity is between 2000-2025. What a wine!