The 1999 Bolgheri Sassicaia steps forward with extra richness and darkness that sets a decisive tone. Compared to the neighboring vintages, this wine shows more succulence and textural thickness that is immediately apparent. It also reveals some heaviness and flatness that remind you of its age and its ongoing evolution. The bouquet delivers tones of dark fruit, black olive, cured meat and smoked tobacco. Reading between the lines, you are playfully reminded of the wine’s important legacy and its territory-specific identity. But this vintage is more simplistic than the others.

by Monica Larner, WA