Tenuta San Guido Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 2022
DOC

Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia

Tenuta San Guido – Sassicaia

Vintages 2023 2022 2021 2009 2008 2005

Sassicaia is Tenuta San Guido's Bolgheri benchmark: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc grown on calcareous galestro soils near the Tuscan coast. Cassis, tobacco and graphite frame fine, ageworthy tannins. A collector's red and Italy's most re

UK Market From £229.52 Found across 5 retailers
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Tasting Notes

What Sassicaia tastes like

Cassis and blackcurrant framed by cedar, tobacco and graphite from 24 months in French oak barriques, with a violet, leafy edge from the 15% Cabernet Franc. Drawn from Tenuta San Guido's notes and a 132,000-rating Vivino consensus.

Tasted by
ItalianWines editorial (drinker consensus)
Tasted on
6 June 2026
Source
Drinker consensus · confidence Medium
Taste profile
Body Light / Full
Tannins Smooth / Grippy
Sweetness Dry / Sweet
Acidity Soft / Crisp
Nose

Tenuta San Guido's Sassicaia opens on the Cabernet signature its Vivino following keeps returning to: blackcurrant and cassis lifted by cedar, tobacco and pencil-shaving graphite from 24 months in French oak barriques. Violet and a leafy, green-pepper edge come through from the 15% Cabernet Franc grown on the estate's calcareous galestro soils. With air, leather and a smoky, balsamic note from the Bolgheri marl deepen the aromatics.

VioletViolet
Black cherryBlack cherry
BlackberryBlackberry
BlackcurrantBlackcurrant
PlumPlum
Green pepperGreen pepper
TobaccoTobacco
LeatherLeather
OakOak
Black pepperBlack pepper
Palate

Medium to full bodied, built around the firm, fine-grained tannins that define this 85% Cabernet Sauvignon blend rather than weight or alcohol, with ABV held around 13.5%. Blackberry, plum and black cherry sit against a savoury graphite and tobacco core, and the bright coastal acidity of the West-facing vineyards above Bolgheri keeps it taut. Black pepper and a stony, mineral grip run through to the structured close.

Finish

Long and savoury, the cedar and graphite of the barrique ageing trailing well past the dark fruit, with the polished tannins drying gently on a Tuscan, marine-tinged note.

Overall

Italy's most recognised red and the only wine made under its own single-estate DOC, Bolgheri Sassicaia. Vivino drinkers rate it 4.6 from over 132,000 ratings and critics routinely place the top vintages in the high 90s, praising structure, elegance and decades of ageing potential. A collector's bottle that rewards a decant or several years more in the cellar.

Best by 2046
Live UK pricing

Buying Sassicaia, vintage and format

Sassicaia trades between roughly 280 and 510 pounds depending on vintage and condition, with around 200,000 bottles made each year. Live UK and EU listings and stock are tracked below.

Best price · 75 cl £229.52 at vinatis
Price spread £229.52 – £510.00 Across 5 UK retailers tracked
Retailers tracked 5UK 4 in stock · 1 awaiting restock
Vintages live 2023 · 2022 · 2021 Current release: 2023
Per-litre (75 cl basis) £306.03 Per-litre price for the lowest current offer
Last checked 7 Jun 2026, 15:41 BST Refreshed once every 24 hours
Wine fit score

How Sassicaia scores for food, cellar and occasion

Six dimensions scored from the wine's structure, Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC classification and live pricing. Strong on cellar and occasion, low on value and everyday by design.

Best for an occasion 9.5/10

Italy's most recognised red, the only single-estate DOC and a fixture in critics' high-90s scores, Sassicaia is a definitive special-occasion and gifting bottle.

Best for cellar 9.3/10

Single-estate Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC aged 24 months in French oak barriques, with firm tannins and 20 to 30 year potential in strong vintages such as 2009 and 2021, makes it a benchmark cellar wine.

Best with food 8.6/10

Firm but fine Cabernet tannins plus the bright coastal acidity of Bolgheri make Sassicaia an excellent table red for chargrilled beef, braises and game, though too structured for delicate or spicy plates.

Best value 3.4/10

At roughly 280 to 510 pounds a bottle, Sassicaia sits far above any Tuscan red benchmark; the price reflects single-estate DOC prestige and limited 200,000-bottle production rather than everyday value.

Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.

Denomination Compliance Snapshot

Bolgheri Sassicaia in five fields

A compact view of what the Bolgheri Sassicaia denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.

Allowed grapes
4 varieties listed
This bottle: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc.
Minimum ageing
Recorded by producer
Disciplinare ageing rule not yet recorded.
Region / area
Castagneto Carducci · Livorno · Toscana
Source: Editorial.
Style
DOC · Bolgheri Sassicaia
Classification
DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata)
What that means →
Retailer Shortlist

Where to Buy

Compare tracked offers from verified retailers at a glance. Stock is shown only where the retailer exposes it. Logos, sale pricing, and the strongest offer are surfaced first.

Best Live Price £229.52
Retailers Tracked 5
Last Checked 7 Jun 2026
Vinatis logo

Vinatis

Best price In stock
Vintage 2022
£229.52
£306.03/L · checked 7 Jun
Visit retailer
75 cl · On sale (was £330.53) · Low stock confidence
8wines logo

8wines

Awaiting restock
Vintage 2022
£275.67
£367.56/L · checked 30 May
Notify me
75 cl · On sale (was £339.28) · Low stock confidence
8wines logo

8wines

Awaiting restock
Vintage 2021
£280.40
£373.87/L · checked 30 May
Notify me
75 cl · Low stock confidence
Decantalo logo

Decantalo

Awaiting restock
Vintage 2023
£297.09
£396.12/L · checked 7 Jun
Notify me
75 cl · Low stock confidence
Great Wines Direct logo

Great Wines Direct

In stock
Vintage 2009
£470.16
£626.88/L · checked 19 May
Visit retailer
75 cl · Low stock confidence
Vintages

Sassicaia vintage by vintage

Tenuta San Guido publishes a scheda tecnica for each release. Standout years such as 2009 and 2021 carry 20 to 30 years of cellar potential; 2022 and 2023 are firmer, younger releases for laying down.

2023 Current release
Lowest price
£297.09
Retailers
0 in stock · 1 awaiting restock
ABV
13.5%
Window
Drink now through 2043

The current Tenuta San Guido release, showing fresh, crunchy fruit and still in its early opening phase, with the cellar potential to develop over the next 15 to 20 years. One for laying down rather than drinking on release.

2022 Previous release
Lowest price
£229.52
Retailers
1 in stock · 1 awaiting restock
ABV
13.5%
Window
Drink now through 2045

A hot 2022 tempered by Bolgheri's hilltop sites and a significant mid-August rain that restored balance between acidity and freshness. Hand-harvested into late September, finishing with the Vigna di Castiglioncello fruit above 300 metres, then aged about 23 months in wood. Critics rated it highly, from 94 at Vinous to 97-plus at Wine Advocate.

2021 Previous release
Lowest price
£280.40
Retailers
0 in stock · 1 awaiting restock
ABV
13.5%
Window
Drink now through 2046

Widely rated one of the great Sassicaia vintages of the past decade. A cold Burian winter and cool spring cut yields to smaller bunches and berries, then a dry summer brought a perfect balance between technical and phenolic maturity. Aged 24 months in French oak barriques, around 40% new, with solid structure and precise fruit built for two decades of cellaring.

2009 Previous release
Lowest price
£470.16
Retailers
1 in stock
ABV
13.5%
Window
Drink now through 2034

Optimal weather across 2009 with warm, sunny summer balanced by good soil water reserves and an excellent day-to-night temperature range, giving outstanding phenolic ripeness. One of the riper, more generous Sassicaia vintages, now in its prime.

Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.

The disciplinare, the place, the label

Why Il Sassicaia is priced where it is

The only Italian DOC reserved for a single estate, built on a unique calcareous galestro terroir at Bolgheri and a 50-year critic track record. The card below breaks down what sits behind the price.

01

DOC, DOCG, IGT: what the badges mean

Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.

Bolgheri Sassicaia is in the DOC tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.

02

The denomination rules, in detail

  • Allowed grapes. 4 varieties listed in the disciplinare
  • Yield ceiling. 7.0 tonnes per hectare
  • Tasting panel. Mandatory pre-release tasting commission
03

Region and area context

Bolgheri Sassicaia falls within Tuscany , covering Castagneto Carducci · Livorno · Toscana.

04

Reading the label

  • Tenuta San Guido – SassicaiaProducer / estate
  • Cabernet Sauvignon · Cabernet FrancGrape varieties (in declared order of dominance)
  • Bolgheri Sassicaia DOCGeographic indication and quality tier
  • 2023Vintage (year of harvest)
  • 13.5% vol · 75 clAlcohol by volume and bottle size
  • Imbottigliato all’origineEstate-bottled
05

What sits behind the price of Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia

Tracked from
£229.52
Direction
Mostly cost up
Drivers
5 up / 1 down
Main factor
Scarcity against global demand
  1. 01

    Scarcity against global demand

    Cost up

    Tenuta San Guido makes only about 200,000 bottles of Sassicaia a year and global demand consistently outstrips supply, which holds the UK price structurally high at 280 to 510 pounds.

  2. 02

    Unique single-estate DOC and terroir

    Cost up

    Bolgheri Sassicaia is the only Italian DOC reserved for one estate, on calcareous galestro soils at 100 to 400 metres with constant ventilation that concentrates aromas. This non-replicable terroir is a core part of the price.

  3. 03

    Fifty-year critic track record

    Cost up

    A sustained record in Wine Advocate, Vinous and James Suckling, with top vintages scoring in the high 90s, commands an icon premium few Italian reds can match.

  4. 04

    Barrique ageing and slow release

    Cost up

    Each vintage is aged around 24 months in French oak barriques, roughly 40% new in 2021, then bottle-aged before release, tying up capital and barrel cost for years before any sale.

  5. 05

    UK duty and VAT

    Cost up

    At 2026 rates UK excise duty adds 2.67 pounds per still bottle under 15% ABV, and 20% VAT on a 300-pound bottle adds about 50 pounds, lifting the shelf price above the ex-cellar cost.

  6. 06

    Younger current vintages drink earlier

    Cost down

    The in-market 2022 and 2023 releases trade below mature years like 2009, as buyers must cellar them for a decade or more before peak, softening their relative price.

Perfect Pairings

Dishes that complement this wine

Fiorentina steak, plated

Fiorentina steak
Brasato al Barolo on stoneware bowl with Bay Leaf, Beef Chuck, Carrot

Brasato al Barolo
Ossobuco alla Milanese on stoneware bowl with Beef Broth, Carrot, Celery

Ossobuco alla Milanese
Porchetta on stoneware bowl with Bay Leaf, Fennel, Garlic

Porchetta
Pecorino sardo e pan carasau on stoneware bowl with Honey, Olive Oil, Pan Carasau

Pecorino sardo e pan carasau
Food Pairing

Cabernet tannin and Bolgheri acidity: dishes that fit Sassicaia

Firm, fine Cabernet tannins and bright coastal acidity make Sassicaia a red-meat and game wine. Each pairing below is matched on a structural reason, from fat-cutting to aromatic bridges.

Tannin softening Strong match

Chargrilled Tuscan beef

The firm, fine-grained Cabernet tannins of Sassicaia bind to the fat and char of a rare bistecca, softening on the palate while the meat tames their grip. Coastal Bolgheri acidity cuts the richness so each bite resets the palate.

Try with: Fiorentina steak · tagliata di manzo · peposo · grilled porterhouse · More pairings →

Fat cutting Strong match

Slow-braised and roasted meats

Long-cooked beef and pork bring gelatinous richness that the tannin and graphite spine of this 85% Cabernet Sauvignon blend slices through cleanly. The wine's savoury, leathery depth mirrors the browned, reduced flavours of a braise.

Try with: Brasato al Barolo · Ossobuco alla Milanese · Porchetta · arrosto di vitello · More pairings →

Body matching Good match

Game and wild boar

The medium to full body and dark cassis-and-tobacco fruit of Sassicaia stand up to the gamey intensity of boar and venison without being overwhelmed. Its structure matches the dense, sinewy texture of slow-cooked game.

Try with: wild boar pappardelle · cinghiale in umido · venison stew · Spezzatino di pecora · More pairings →

Salt balance Good match

Aged hard cheese

A mature pecorino or aged caciocavallo brings salt and umami that settle the wine's tannins and lift its dark fruit. The bright acidity of the West-facing Bolgheri vineyards keeps a rich, crystalline cheese from cloying.

Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · aged Pecorino Toscano · Caciocavallo farcito · Parmigiano stagionato · More pairings →

Aromatic bridge Good match

Herb-roasted lamb

Rosemary and thyme on roast lamb echo the violet and balsamic, leafy Cabernet Franc edge in Sassicaia, building an aromatic bridge between dish and glass. The lamb's fat is met by the wine's polished tannic grip.

Try with: Agnello Ragu Lucano · herb-crusted rack of lamb · Arrosticini · agnello al forno · More pairings →

Avoid Clash

Avoid chilli heat and delicate fish

The firm tannins and oak of Sassicaia amplify capsaicin heat, turning spicy dishes harsh and metallic, and the wine's weight flattens delicate seafood. Save it for red meat, not for chilli-driven plates or light fish.

Skip with: vindaloo · sweet-and-sour pork · spicy Sichuan · sushi · grilled sole · Pairing guide →

Drinking + cellar

Collecting and cellaring Sassicaia

A blue-chip Tuscan red with deep secondary-market demand and large-format releases. The best Tenuta San Guido vintages reward 15 to 30 years of patient cellaring.

Drinking window
2027 → 2043

Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.

Cellar potential
High

Single-estate Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC aged 24 months in French oak barriques, with firm tannins and 20 to 30 year potential in strong vintages such as 2009 and 2021, makes it a benchmark cellar wine.

Buy now or wait?
Buy now

£229.52 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.

Sources & trust

Sources behind this Sassicaia page

Prices & stock

Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 7 Jun 2026, 15:41 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.

Confidence · High
Tasting notes

Drawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.

Confidence · Medium
Appellation rules & ageing

From the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.

Confidence · High
Why it costs what it costs

Our reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.

Confidence · Medium
Drink window & cellar potential

Style guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.

Confidence · Medium
Related

Sassicaia, its grapes, region and pairings

Producer
Tenuta San Guido – Sassicaia Tuscany
Grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc
Denomination
Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC
Region
Tuscany Region guide
Cuisine
Italian Cuisine 5 dishes paired

Common Questions

Sassicaia is a Bordeaux-style blend of roughly 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. Tenuta San Guido grows both in estate plots at Bolgheri, including Castiglioncello, on calcareous galestro soils between 100 and 400 metres above sea level.

No. Sassicaia carries its own appellation, Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC, which became a standalone denomination in December 2013. It is the only Italian DOC reserved for a single estate, Tenuta San Guido.

Strong vintages such as 2009 and 2021 will cellar for 20 to 30 years. Aged 24 months in French oak barriques, young Sassicaia is firmly tannic and benefits from a decant or several more years in bottle.

Pair it with chargrilled Tuscan beef like a bistecca alla fiorentina, slow braises such as ossobuco, wild boar and game, herb-roasted lamb, and aged pecorino. Its firm Cabernet tannins and acidity cut through fat and char.

Three things set the price: limited production of around 200,000 bottles a year against global demand, a unique calcareous Bolgheri terroir, and a 50-year track record in international critic guides. Bottles typically sell between 280 and 510 pounds.

Expect blackcurrant and cassis with cedar, tobacco, graphite and a violet, leafy Cabernet Franc edge. Vivino drinkers rate it 4.6 from over 132,000 ratings, consistently flagging its structure, elegance and savoury depth.

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Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia
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