The 2004 Sassicaia is a lovely, understated effort. Medium in body, it presents nuanced layers of sweet dark fruit, licorice, menthol and toasted oak that gradually open onto a finely-knit frame of notable length. Today it appears to be quite reticent and still holding back much of its potential. Both bottles I sampled showed less vibrancy and freshness in both color and flavors than the other top 2004s I tasted alongside it, suggesting that the wine is still suffering from bottle shock. Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate, 93 points

Wine Enthusiast The best Sassicaia of the last 10 years, the 2004 vintage is an outstanding achievement. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc highlight the beauty of Tuscany and portray the region in terms of thick chocolate fudge, succulent cherry and currant, exotic spice and vanilla seed. Beyond those big aromas are little teasers: blue flowers, Mediterranean herbs, cola and light mineral shadings. It’s lush and full in the mouth and will hold 20 or 30 years. Score: 97 points. —Monica Larner, April 01, 2008.

Shows aromas of chocolate, currant and blackberry, with a hint of Spanish cedar. Full-bodied, with firm, velvety tannins and a long finish. Racy and very well-structured. Builds on the palate. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best after 2012. Score: 94 points. —James Suckling, October 31, 2007. Wine Spectator

Deep ruby. Absolutely ethereal nose offers intense yet refined aromas of ripe red cherry, smoke, leather and black truffle, with a pretty mineral element nuance and clarity. Velvety-smooth, ripe and rich on entry, then awash with mid-palate flavors of red cherry, smoky red plum, cassis, spices, bay leaf, roasted coffee bean and dark chocolate. Bright acids and silky-smooth tannins give this extraordinary wine extra lift and precision. Compared to recent vintages, this is a far richer and plumper yet extremely refined version of Sassicaia at a similar stage of its development. The finish goes on for minutes, highlighted by an enchanting mineral quality. The best young Sassicaia in years." -Rated 96, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Sassicaia is a unique interpretation of the Cabernet variety, a wine of great breadth, complexity and longevity. The intense blackberry and cassis aromas, offset by notes of smoke and spice, are confirmed on a palate of lush concentration underscored by firm, ripe tannins carrying into a long, elegant finish.

The 2005 Sassicaia is another strong effort from Tenuta San Guido. Medium in body, it reveals an understated, delicate expression of smoke, herbs, tobacco and sweet dark fruit. The wine possesses compelling harmony and a gorgeous sense of inner perfume that flows from start to finish. This is an outstanding showing in a very challenging vintage. Sassicaia is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with a small amount of Cabernet Franc. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025. - Wine Advocate

The 2002 Redigaffi is sweet and balsamic in its expression of jammy plum fruit, elegant and ample on the flow and with an expanding volume, firmness, and grip which should guarantee maximum pleasure for another decade and a half. Wine Advocate # 164 Apr 2006 Daniel Thomases 94 Drink: 2006 - 2021

Best known for its iconic Redigaffi, Tua Rita produces some of Tuscany’s most enticing wines, from rich, Bordeaux-style offerings to delightful Sangiovese-based blends. Tua Rita is located in Suvereto, a small medieval town in the Tuscan province of Livorno, on the coast south of Bolgheri. Rita Tua and her husband Virgilio Bisti bought the property in 1984 and planted it with Cabernet and Merlot. They later purchased an additional 17.5 acres of land, bringing the total estate to 55 acres, of which about 45 are planted with vines. The winery lies at just 300 feet above sea level, on a clayey, silty soil. Stefano Chioccioli, renowned in Italy for his expertise in both the vineyard and the cellar, is the winemaker at the estate. Yields are kept to a minimum to ensure concentration of flavours. The estate’s total annual production is currently just 3,400 cases.

The winery released its first vintage in 1992, and soon began receiving praise and accolades from wine enthusiasts worldwide for its rich, full-bodied wines. Indeed, in just five short years, its Redigaffi (100% Merlot) had achieved cult-like status, receiving outstanding ratings from the world’s most prestigious wine critics and publications. Wine critic Robert M. Parker Jr. called the 1999 Redigaffi “as close to perfection as a wine can get.” The next year, he gave the 2000 Redigaffi a perfect 100 score. The winery’s Bordeaux blend, Giusti di Notri, also garners near-universal praise. Little wonder that Tua Rita’s wines are considered among the most difficult to find in Italy.” www.winebow.com

Tua Rita’s 2003 Redigaffi, 100% Merlot, opens with notes of over-ripeness on the nose. An initial suggestion of reduction blows of with air. It presents plenty of fruit, chocolate and toasted oak along with a richly concentrated, opulent personality, yet a note of gaminess and hard, unripe tannins ultimately convey the impression of a less polished version of this wine than is normally the case. My preference is to drink Redigaffi on the young side. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2013. Wine Advocate # 169 Feb 2007 Antonio Galloni 90 Drink: 2008 - 2013

Best known for its iconic Redigaffi, Tua Rita produces some of Tuscany’s most enticing wines, from rich, Bordeaux-style offerings to delightful Sangiovese-based blends. Tua Rita is located in Suvereto, a small medieval town in the Tuscan province of Livorno, on the coast south of Bolgheri. Rita Tua and her husband Virgilio Bisti bought the property in 1984 and planted it with Cabernet and Merlot. They later purchased an additional 17.5 acres of land, bringing the total estate to 55 acres, of which about 45 are planted with vines. The winery lies at just 300 feet above sea level, on a clayey, silty soil. Stefano Chioccioli, renowned in Italy for his expertise in both the vineyard and the cellar, is the winemaker at the estate. Yields are kept to a minimum to ensure concentration of flavours. The estate’s total annual production is currently just 3,400 cases.

The winery released its first vintage in 1992, and soon began receiving praise and accolades from wine enthusiasts worldwide for its rich, full-bodied wines. Indeed, in just five short years, its Redigaffi (100% Merlot) had achieved cult-like status, receiving outstanding ratings from the world’s most prestigious wine critics and publications. Wine critic Robert M. Parker Jr. called the 1999 Redigaffi “as close to perfection as a wine can get.” The next year, he gave the 2000 Redigaffi a perfect 100 score. The winery’s Bordeaux blend, Giusti di Notri, also garners near-universal praise. Little wonder that Tua Rita’s wines are considered among the most difficult to find in Italy.” www.winebow.com

The inky-coloured 2004 Redigaffi, 100% Merlot aged for 16 months in new oak, offers expressive, nuanced aromatics along with sensations of richly-textured blue and black jammy fruit, minerals, mint, chocolate, spices and sweet toasted oak on big, powerful frame with notable underlying structure and a warm, resonating finish. Although it has enough structure and acidity to drink well for another decade or so, I enjoy Redigaffi most in its youth. 93 Points, The Wine Advocate Issue #169

The estate belonging to Rita Tua, Virgilio Bisti and family took home yet another Three Glass trophy, proving - if proof were needed – just how serious they are in their quest for excellence. The Redigaffi ’03, one of the most highly acclaimed, sought-after, celebrated Merlots in Italy or indeed further afield, earned our top award for the character and personality that identify it clearly with its terroir of origin. Its dense, almost impenetrable colour heralds a nose of black berry fruit, pleasant balsamic notes and a typical spicy tone. The majestic palate is fleshy and at the same time full flavoured, with an acid backbone that emerges to support the wine as it develops into a long, enveloping finish. It’s a masterpiece, as usual. The Guisto di Notri ’03 is a blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, is on its usual good form. Its predominant ripe fruit aromas are enhanced by vegetal, minty notes, then the full, confident palate is still slightly in thrall to the oak at the moment and foreshortened in the finish by dense tannins. Further ageing in the bottle will only be to it’s advantage.  2006 Le Guide del Gambero Rosso