LE DIFESE

On to 2023 Le Difese, a wine that has captured my heart of late. Made from 65% Sangiovese and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and weighing in at 13.5% alcohol, with some oak augmentation using old Guidalberto barrels, this is another cosmic release for this wine. Leave the anticipated release price aside for a moment and consider this wine in isolation, forgetting its parentage and hallowed turf. This beautiful, buoyant, highly attractive red wine balances enticing openness with formal build-quality under the bonnet. I know it is a baby, but you could conceivably down a bottle with steak frites without missing a beat, and yet I expect it to gather in kaleidoscopic appeal over the next 24 months. I adored last year’s 2022 vintage with its cool, calm, and collected attitude, knowing wink, and rakish appeal. But this 2023 is a phenomenon and the finest Le Difese I have ever tasted. I feel compelled to give it a gold medal score. It doesn’t matter that this wine is a ‘third tier release’ because its perfume, flavour and finish are simply stunning. So, it is with great pleasure that 2023 Le Difese gains a rare 18.5/20 score, and if this wine does not make it into my Finest Fifty 2025 round-up in late December, I will eat my capello.

Ps – given the class of 2023 Le Difese and how I view this wine as a Sassicaia soothsayer, I say you should set your alarm for Feb 2026, because something special will undoubtedly appear on the horizon. Rating: 18.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Feb 2025)

The 2023 Le Difese is a gorgeous wine from Tenuta San Guido. Fresh, aromatic and inviting, the 2023 is all charm. Floral notes meld into a core of crushed red berry fruit, mint, spice and white pepper. Medium in body and gracious, Le Difese is an absolute delight. As always, Le Difese is a blend of deselected lots from Sassicaia and Guidalberto, plus some purchased Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2023, Sangiovese was challenged by the growing season, so the blend includes more Cabernet Sauvignon. This is an impressive effort for a year that required constant vigilance in the vineyard because of frequent rain and elevated disease pressure. Drinking range: 2025 - 2033 Rating: 91 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2025)

The season in brief: The autumn was mostly warm and dry, but in November, temperatures dropped with rainfall that replenished the water reserves. Winter began with mild temperatures and intense fog, while February recorded very cold temperatures with lows of around -3°C, accompanied by rain and snow at higher altitudes. Spring started with rising temperatures and moderate rainfall, but in April, cold weather and rain returned, which fortunately did not cause any damage. In May, the seasonal average temperature stabilised, with frequent rains that favoured flowering and fruit setting. The summer was characterised by above-average temperatures but the good water availability allowed the plants to grow regularly. The intense heat led to thoughts of an early harvest but the rain at the end of August restored the situation and allowed the grapes to reach proper maturity: excellent grape quality, with great consistency; good aromatic extraction and impressive anthocyanins.

The wine: After a passage in second and third-use French oak barriques (previously used for Guidalberto), the wine is transferred to stainless tanks at acontrolled temperature of 3-4°C to achieve the proper tartaric stability before bottling. It is then aged in bottle before being released for sale.

First vintage: 2002

Blend: 65% Sangiovese and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon

Fermentation: In stainless steel at controlled temperature, completed by the end of October

Maturation in wood: Short passage in used French oak barriques Bottle maturation: 3 months

Technical data: Alcohol: 13.50% pH: 3.48 Total Acidity: 5.75Winemaker's notes (Feb 2025)