91+ The very interesting 1980 Sassicaia offers many of the delicious precursory qualities that ultimately remind you of the legendary 1985 vintage. The wine opens to a pretty garnet hue and shows youthful color stability and saturation. The mouthfeel is opulent and rich with an important sense of consistency and texture, which wraps thickly over the palate and delivers prolonged endurance. There is an evident note of sweetness that recalls primary aromas of dried cherry and sun-sweetened plum. But you also get a contrasting mineral or marine salt-like layer that keeps the wine from tasting too heavy or thick. Balanced acidity contributes in refreshing the palate. This is yet another overlooked vintage that shows surprising results today. - Monica Larner