Tenuta Sette Cieli ‘Yantra’ Toscana 2019

As good as the 2018 was, the 2019 is substantially better (!?!) and it’s already got the 93-point Wine Spectator review to prove it.

Part of it is the vintage – winemakers started talking about how great the 2019s were before the grapes were even in. The rule of three, they exclaimed.

The theory goes that when three great vintages line up, often the third is the best. Vines are stressed from the previous two vintages and keep resources in reserve, often creating tiny berries of immense concentration of flavor.

It’s true that the 2019 is more concentrated than its predecessor. Although at this elevation and with all the direct sunlight, vintage variation matters less than it might in less desirable locales. “The Estate of Seven Skies” is named for the view atop the tiny estate and is perched high up on a hill overlooking Bolgheri as well as the original Sassicaia vineyard, the most famous Super Tuscan wine of all.

The 2019 Tenuta Sette Cieli “Yantra” is an absolute stunner crafted by a rising winemaking star in Elena Pozzolini. Wine Spectator’s 93 point review echoes my own tasting note: “A mouthful of black currant, blackberry, violet, cedar and iron lends immediate gratification in this polished red. Vibrant and balanced, with a long, firm finish that echoes dark fruit and mineral.”

You might recall that after selecting this one from my Super Tuscan blind tasting, I was totally convinced I was going to get a big three-figure Sassicaia price tag and was blown away when it could be had for under thirty bucks.