About the Producer:
The One That Started
It All...You’ve heard it before, Sassicaia is the most collectible
Italian wine to come out of the Boot. The now historic wine is single-handedly
responsible for launching the Super Tuscan movement and remains one
of the most sought-after wines in the world.
Marchese Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta continues the 36 year
old tradition at the Tenuta San Guido estate, which is considered
by many to be the birthplace of Tuscan Cabernet. He is NOT influenced
by the international demand to create a super-extracted, monster red
wine; instead, he continues to produce the most elegant Super Tuscan
there is!
The Super Tuscan Pioneer
The term "Super Tuscan" conjures up words like creativity,
freedom, spirit, and defiance. In the time pre-dating the Sixties,
no one considered making a wine crafted along Bordeaux lines on Italian
soil, much less in a region not yet established viticulturally. The
theory back then was that vines exposed to the sea winds and salty
air of Bolgheri would produce poor results. More importantly, the
viticultural regulations set forth by the DOC and DOCG limited creativity,
expression, and the qualitative potential of terroir.
It was the drive and foresight of Mario Incisa della Rochetta, along
with guidance from Giacomo Tachis (Piero Antinori's
winemaker) that made enological history and created the Super Tuscan
movement. Mario believed in the evolution of Tuscany's viticulture
and planted a small vineyard of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Bolgheri
hills in 1944. The estate, Tenuta San Guido, was influenced by the
location’s similarity to Graves in Bordeaux. “Graves”
means “gravel” in French, and similarly, the earth at
Tenuta San Guido gave Sassicaia its name, which in the Tuscan dialect
means “stony ground.” After 25 years of experimentation
and relentless energy, Sassicaia entered the world stage in 1968 to
critical acclaim with its first international release and thus the
Super Tuscan Pioneer was born.
Wines of Tenuta San Guido Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia: Perhaps the most sought-after
Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc blend ever produced. Sassicaia
is a masterful cuvee of the best grapes from the vineyards of Tenuta
San Guido, situated on the hilly slopes in a subzone of Bolgheri.
In 1994 this magical spot was crowned with its own DOC status, the
first time an Italian wine was granted this honor.
Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto: The 2000 vintage was the first
release of a new wine created by the mastermind of Sassicaia, Nicoló
Incisa della Rocchetta, and his stepson, Sebastiano Rosa, former manager
at Argiano who collaborated in the creation of the Super-Tuscan Solengo.
Named for Guidalberto della Gherardesca, a maternal ancestor of Incisa
who cultivated vines in Bolgheri in the 19th century, the wine is
based on a different idea than Sassicaia, though undoubtedly shaped
by the same soil and climate.
The vinification facility for Guidalberto takes place in a converted
olive oil mill at Tenuta San Guido. Fermentation takes place separately
for each of the three varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese.
Oak aging occurs over twelve months in 225 liter French and American
oak barrels (a.k.a. barriques).
Featured Wine(s): Tenuta
San Guido Sassicaia
Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto
Tenuta San Guido Le Difese
Italian
Wine Merchants Passport • 108
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for errors or omissions. Prices are subject to change
due to availability and issue date.
Producer:
Tenuta
San Guido Sassicaia