Sassicaia is a Bordeaux style dry red Italian wine, and I’m delighted that we’re seeing more and more of these red wine finishes, as I really do like them. The Sassicaia is a ‘super Tuscan’ wine, a term that denotes wines made in Tuscany from grape veriaties that are not native to the Italian region, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Specifically, Sassicaia is the brainchild of Incisa della Rocchetta, who started making it for his family consumption after founding Tenuta San Guido, and only began to sell the wine in the late 1960s. The wine gets its name from the Italian word for stone, sasso, which comes from the rocky fields used to plant the vines, very much like the vineyards in Bordeaux.
Tenuta San Guido
Photo Credit: bindella.ch
Benromach came out last year with another batch of the two wine finishes: The seventh incarnation of the Sassicaia and the third of the Hermitage (to be reviewed in the near future) wood finishes, both of which work quite well with the spirit.
Photo Credit: thewhiskyexchange.com
Benromach Sassicaia 2007-2016 (45% ABV, NCF, NC)
Appearance: Rose tinged, thick legs coming off a necklace.
Nose: Bit of a youngish touch with cereal, berries and some hints of floral ash. The wine imparts a light fruity sourness. As it opens up, more of the lovely red fruit comes out.
Palate: Here’s the peat, with a generous heap of spice. Feels dry on the tongue, with some fizz to it.
Linger: Long and dry, with spices all over the mouth and the top of the gullet. Yet that oh so Kilchomany ashy note is there, with a serious lingering note of sweetness.
Conclusion
This finish works quite well with the spirit, and the combination of the peat and wine gives an ashy feel to it…
What are the character flavours of assicaia wine and can you taste and identify these same character flavours in the Benromach?
His reviews are very different to mine, so I don’t know what you’ll make of them, but here they are: https://www.falconvintners.com/sassicaia_vertical