2016 Le Difese (AKA Baby Sassicaia) is Back

BABY SASSICAIA IS BACK AND IT BROUGHT SOME FRIENDS

"The Tenuta San Guido Express recently rolled in, just in time for the holidays! We have been out of the 2016 Le Difese for nine months, but the highest reviewing ‘Baby Sassicaia’ at the lowest price we have had in years, is back! Speaking of Sassicaia, we also have a little more 2015, Wine Spectator #1 Wine of the Year in 2018, and the best buy 2014 Sassicaia (95 Points and only $199).

It is hard to believe that some of the 2016 Tuscan wines that I was so excited about arriving are now beginning to sell out. This vintage is one of the finest I have seen in my 21 years of buying Italian wines. We recently received our last drop of the stunning 2016 Tenuta San Guido Le Difese, aka ‘Baby Sassicaia.’ It has been ten years since Jim and I first discovered this wine at Tenuta San Guido and begged them to import it to the U.S. The Wine House was the first to have the wine in the market, and looking back, the price is lower today than the 2008 vintage, and the quality far exceeds all previous vintages.

The 2016 Le Difese got its highest reviews ever from the major critics, surpassing the 2015 vintage... which is not a surprise, as this is quite simply the finest bottling of Le Difese ever. It is an amazing Super Tuscan that is equal to those that are in the $40-$50 a bottle range. So, this is your last call - get it for under $23 a bottle before it's gone! Buy it to enjoy now or cellar for a few years!" – Lance Montalto, The Wine House

Check out our CLOSEOUT wines on our website! Quantities are limited to current stock and new closeout wines are added regularly!

"Very aromatic and bright with strawberry, cherry and currant character. Hints of oranges. Full-bodied, linear and tight, showing ultra-fine tannins. Potential here." – James Suckling (September 2017)

"A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, the 2016 Le Difese shows a more evident touch of ripe fruit that you don't perceive in the Guidalberto, which makes me think it comes from the Sangiovese component that is only used in this wine. The overall effect of that ripeness is that it downplays the wine's inner complexity. But this entry-level red from Tenuta San Guido was never aiming for huge complexity to begin with. Dark cherry and cherry is followed by wild strawberry and tangy rose hip. This wine happily delivers on its promises of freshness and accessibility." – Monica Larner, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (February 2018)

"A fresh, vibrant version, offering cherry, strawberry, spice and mineral flavors. Youthful, with assertive tannins, so decant or age short term. Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. Drink now through 2024. " – Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator (July 2018)

From the Winery: If Mario Incisa, creator of Sassicaia, was inspired by his great-uncle Leopoldo Incisa della Rocchetta, then his son Nicolò, director of Tenuta San Guido since forty years, has been motivated by Guidalberto della Gherardesca his great great great grandfather. The latter, who lived in the early nineteenth century in Bolgheri was a pioneer of modern agriculture, and is famous for having planted the cypress alley that inspired the poet Giosuè Carducci. Nicolò Incisa explains thus the choice of the name and creation of new wine in 2000: ‘The wine was created for two reasons: first of all, the desire to see what we could accomplish with Merlot, a grape that we had never used before; second, the desire to offer the consumer a wine which could be appreciated at a younger age compared to our veteran Sassicaia’.

"Aromas of red berry, blue flower, menthol, exotic spice and a whiff of French oak take shape on this impeccably balanced radiant red. The palate is vibrant and focused—almost ethereal—delivering raspberry compote, Marasca cherry, star anise and cinnamon framed in elegant tannins. Weightless and loaded with finesse, it's an incredible result for what was a cool wet vintage in most of Italy. Drink through 2024." – Kerin O’Keefe, Wine Enthusiast (December 2017)

"This is my official review of the 2014 Bolgheri Sassicaia after having been graciously invited to the estate for various barrel samples spanning back several years. I have watched the evolution of this wine with a close eye and am impressed by how its real quality is diametrically opposed to the poor expectations of this difficult vintage. The nose is redolent of bright fruit and blackberry. Spice, tar and leather appear subtly at the back. The wine took on considerable weight each year I came back to taste it and this vintage was bottled earlier than average, precisely to give it more time to unwind and relax in the small confines of the bottle. This is a solid effort for sure and the wine is a stunning example of what it takes to make great wine, even when weather conditions are not in your favor." – Monica Larner, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (April 2017)

"Love the aromas to this young red with blackcurrants, sage, cinnamon and five-spice character. Changes all the time. Full-bodied, dense and powerful with a ripe and rich tannin backbone that gives form and beauty to the ripe and beautiful fruit. Tight and very long. Approachable now but will reward more in five to six years. A classic Sassicaia." – James Suckling (December 2018)

"The first Cabernet grapes were picked on September 10th under perfect conditions, with yields a little lower than average. As is usual at Tenuta San Guido, the fruit for Sassicaia was gently crushed and fermented in stainless steel using natural yeasts. After the malolactic fermentation, the wine spent two years in French oak prior to bottling. This is certainly an exceptional Sassicaia, with a sumptuous nose of ripe, creamy black and red fruit with cedar and spice notes. The colour is by no means dark (as is often the case with Sassicaia), and the impression on the palate is one of controlled power underpinned by gorgeous sweetness and flowing elegance. This is a very confident wine with real authority and presence, beginning with a magnificent attack of rich cassis and ripe griotte cherry followed by cigar box and leather notes, and a long finish of savoury bay leaf and minerals. It's deceptively structured, the tannins wonderfully ripe, creamy and finely textured, while the juicy acidity also suggests that this wine has a very long life ahead of it. This 2015 exhibits everything that you’d want from Sassicaia - and more - because of its winning combination of winemaking savoir-faire, world-class terroir, old vine fruit, and an outstanding vintage. It is unarguably stunning." – John Stimpfig, Decanter (January 2018)

"This iconic wine's blackberry, cedar and vanilla aromas fill the glass. The elegant, structured palate delivers juicy black currant, black cherry, exotic spice, crushed herb and menthol flavors alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. It boasts a fantastic combination of delicious, ripe fruits, balanced by remarkable freshness and agility for the hot vintage. Drink 2022–2035." Keri O’Keefe, Wine Enthusiast (July 2018)

"Having followed this wine's evolution in barrel for the past few years, it is an honor to evaluate the final product. This Sassicaia has blossomed since my previous encounters with it as a young, awkward adolescent. The long-awaited 2015 Bolgheri Sassicaia represents a tremendous effort that comes together with seamless precision and focus. This is a confident and proud red wine from Tuscany. Starting with the primary material at hand, you sense the quality of fruit thanks to the wine's beautifully dark appearance and the rich texture it offers to the palate. The acidity is integrated, but more freshness still would have been welcomed in my view (and would also contribute to its longevity). The bouquet is amplified both in terms of volume and length. Its playlist includes dark berry fruit, spice, leather, licorice and roasted coffee bean. Yet, the mouthfeel is extremely graceful and silky. The wine's undisputed pedigree is showcased on the palate. It should also be noted that this edition of Sassicaia feels more ready and open to me. It will age and evolve beautifully, but the 2015 Sassicaia can also be enjoyed in the medium-term. This wine is all about the here and now." – Monica Larner, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (February 2018)

"Rich and concentrated, this red features black currant, blackberry, violet, mineral and spice flavors. Dense yet lively, structured yet impeccably balanced, with vibrant acidity driving the long, fruit-filled aftertaste. The oak is beautifully integrated. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2042." – Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator (July 2018)

ABOUT TENUTA SAN GUIDO

Tenuta San Guido is named after the Saint Guido della Gherardesca who lived during the XI century. It is located on the Tyrrhenian coast, between Leghorn and Grosseto, in Maremma an area made famous by Italian Nobel prize winner Giosuè Carducci, and it stretches for 13 km from the sea to the hills.

Three are its defining characteristics: the Sassicaia wine, the Razza Dormello-Olgiata thoroughbred studfarm and the Bird Sanctuary Padule di Bolgheri. They divide the estate between the Padule on the coast, the horse's training grounds on the plain, and the vineyards planted up to 350 meters on the hills. The latter have been given their own DOC, the DOC Bolgheri Sassicaia, the first, and so far only case in Italy of a DOC contained in one estate.

The wedding of Mario Incisa della Rocchetta and Clarice della Gherardesca on October 18th 1930, started it all. They shared a love for thoroughbred horses that made them form a partnership with horse breeder and trainer Federico Tesio. Mario Incisa's love of good wine made him plant Cabernet vines in 1942 for what was to become Sassicaia. Seventeen years later the Bolgheri Bird Sanctuary becomes Italy's first private nature preserve.