To be honest I gave the Sassicaia 1985 a 100 points at the same tasting, but those notes have already been published, and it’s a vintage that has been celebrated plenty of times. Both bottles were from one of the standout tastings of the year – in Rome, a vertical of Sassicaia dating back over five decades. This 2006 has guts and glory, there is stuffing here. The exotic heat comes through like a pan-seared filet steak, nothing more than a flash fire that gives way to succulence. More exoticism with the dancing array of flavours, from plums, damson and spices to forest fruits and heather then the menthol kicks comes in. You just want to linger over this glass, pick apart the individual flavours and get to understand what it is saying.(JA)