Sassicaia 2003 at Italian Wine Merchants

and more:
• Le Difese: Third Wine of Sassicaia
• Six-Pack Sampler: Icons of the Movement
• Vintage Babbo with IWM

A Note from Sergio

In the summer of 2003, Italy was gripped with an intense heat wave. I had been driving around the country, from Friuli to Basilicata, tasting wines, and everywhere I went, stressed-out producers were hurriedly harvesting their crops weeks—sometimes even a month—before they usually did. I remember sitting at a table at Tenuta San Guido, the estate that produces Sassicaia. Tractors kept passing by, setting down cartons of fruit around which masses of bees were hungrily swarming. I tried a few grapes—they were fat, juicy, and sugary sweet.

It takes an accomplished winemaker to make a well-balanced wine in a year like that. I've returned to Italy many times to taste wines from the 2003 vintage and have found that, predictably, many producers, worried that their grapes might burst when over-ripe, harvested too early. Their miscalculation resulted in batches of tart, syrupy wines full of underdeveloped tannins. But the wines of Tenuto San Guido are different. When I arrived at the estate this January for my final tasting, owner Nicolo Incisa della Rocchetta had bottles of Sassicaia from 1999 to 2003 waiting for me. Drinking them reaffirmed my belief that from an investor's standpoint, Sassicaia is the best valued collectible wine Italy has to offer.

Simply put: it's consistently excellent and undeniably distinct; it ages beautifully; and it appreciates quickly and at a high rate. Even in the 2003 vintage, Sassicaia was well-balanced and wonderfully-structured. And though it was dark, it had the same personality as the light 2002. The same went for the 1999, the 2000, and the 2001: with the exception of some vintage influence, the wine doesn't change. Its character is distinct and indescribable, completely different not only from every other Super Tuscan but also from every wine in the world. I've tasted it in nearly every vintage made in the last 38 years and can attest to the fact that it ages endlessly and drinks beautifully forever. And you can buy it at a relatively reasonable price and often see it quadruple in value within a decade. Of course, Sassicaia has its detractors, those who insist that its quality is fading. In my experience I've found that most of those naysayers are newcomers to the industry. They've read decades' worth of articles touting Sassicaia's quality and value and then they've sat down and tasted a single bottle from 1998. Upon finding a wine that in no way resembles bold, modern drinks, they've decided that while the wine may have once been good, it's officially fallen from grace. "But have you ever had a Sassicaia from the '60s or 70's?" I ask them. And without fail, they haven't. Sassicaia's critics, most of whom came of age in a culture that awards high scores to big, soft wines, usually have a warped frame of reference. In fact, the quality of Sassicaia has never faltered. But it's reserved; it needs time—it never shows right out of the bottle. And to be truly appreciated, it must be enjoyed with food.

Today I've put together a range of vintages, as well as some of Tenuto San Guido's other masterpieces. The bottles of Sassicaia listed below are, in my opinion, one of the smartest investments a collector can make.

My best,
Sergio Esposito

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Sassicaia: The Super Tuscan Pioneer

Before the 1960s, nobody had ever considered crafting a Bordeaux-style wine from vines grown in Italy, much less from fruit grown along the Mediterranean coastline of Toscana’s Maremma zone—an area widely considered unfit for quality wine production. The theory back then was that vines exposed to the sea winds and salty air of Bolgheri would provide poor grapes. More importantly, the viticultural regulations set forth by the DOC and DOCG limited creativity, expression, and the qualitative potential of the terroir. However, the drive and foresight of Mario Incisa della Rocchetta changed all that and made enological history with the creation of Sassicaia.

Like most Italian aristocrats, Mario had been exposed to the famed wines of France. Upon settling with his wife in Bolgheri at his Tenuta San Guido estate, he noticed that the soil on his property was similar to that of the Graves appellation in Bordeaux—rocky, as the name Graves, or "gravel" in French, suggests. In 1944, with the help of traveling consultant Tancredi Biondi Santi, he planted cuttings of Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux's Château Lafite and thus began to make the wine that he later dubbed Sassicaia, or "stony ground" in the Tuscan dialect.

In 1968, after a quarter century of experimentation and enological assistance from Piero Antinori's winemaker, Giacomo Tachis (Solaia & Tignanello), Tenuta San Guido released to the open market the first vintage of Sassicaia, and critics and consumers around the world immediately extolled Mario’s invention. Today, Sassicaia—a now legendary wine single-handedly responsible for launching the Super Tuscan movement—may be the most coveted Cabernet Sauvignon-Cabernet Franc blend ever produced. The regard for this wine is so high that in 1994 it was knighted its own DOC status by the classification system that shunned its initial efforts—this is a first for Italian wine.

Sassicaia
Sassicaia is a masterful cuvée of the best Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes from the vineyards of Castiglioncello, Doccino, Quercione, San Martino, Mandrioli, Sassicaia, and Aianova, all of which are situated on hilly slopes in a subzone of Bolgheri. When blended, the fruit from these carefully selected and meticulously cared-for sites creates an elegant and beautifully balanced wine.

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Guidalberto: Sassicaia's Cousin

The 2000 vintage was the first release of a new wine created by the mastermind of Sassicaia, Nicolò 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 Nicolò's who cultivated vines in Bolgheri in the 19th century, the wine is based on a different idea than Sassicaia (as detailed below), though undoubtedly shaped by the same soil and climate. One interesting note about Gherardesca is his historic planting of the famous Cypress alley leading to Bolgheri—a national landmark that symbolizes Bolgheri's Super Tuscan movement.

Guidalberto
The grapes for the Guidalberto are grown on lands adjacent to the Sassicaia vineyards in a site owned by Conti Zileri, cousin to the Incisa della Rocchetta family. Vinification takes place separately for each of the three varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), Merlot (45%), and Sangiovese (10%). Oak aging occurs over twelve months in 225-liter French and American oak barrels. As in Sassicaia, the signature bouquet of the estate is easily detected. The wine displays similar finesse on the front of the palate and culminates in a rich, lasting finish.

Tenuta San Guido 2003 Guidalberto $69.00
Tenuta San Guido 2003 Guidalberto $148.00 (1.5L)

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Le Difese: Third Wine of Sassicaia

The legend continues... First Sassicaia, then Guidalberto, and now Le Difese. The label bears a wild boar and the name difese indicates "defenses." When asked to describe the meaning of the label, the Marchese answers, “The defenses are the teeth of the boar and the boar, when he is attacked, counter-attacks with his teeth, his 'defenses,' to be exact.” Such an explanation leaves itself open to interpretation, but here’s what we can tell you for sure: this wine represents a departure from international varietals with a focus on the noble Sangiovese as its base, accompanied by a 10% dosage of Cabernet Sauvignon. While the Guidalberto grabbed the headlines back in 2000, this cousin of the mythical Sassicaia was quietly released with the 2001 vintage in 2003. Only 500 cases were distributed to local wine bars near the Bolgheri estate for barely six euros a bottle. IWM was the first to bring this wine to American soil, and it remains virtually unavailable elsewhere in this country.

Le Difese
As for Sassicaia and Guidalberto, the climate, influenced by the proximity of the sea and the hills surrounding the vineyards, which protect them from the winds, has a very strong influence on the correct and healthy maturation of the grapes for Le Difese. While predominantly Sangiovese, unlike the other two wines, this wine retains the signature house aromas that not only indicate the estate but also brand it as a distinctly Tuscan wine.

Tenuta San Guido 2003 Le Difese $29.50

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Six-Pack Sampler: Icons of the Movement

The Tuscan hills are known for their great beauty and wines. Here, noble Sangiovese displays her brilliance and numerous personalities through the various strains that have adapted to individual vineyards and microclimates. When blended with complementary grapes she is capable of framing superb wines which seem more familiar to non-Italian wine drinkers. Conquering armies such as Napoleon's are responsible for bringing international varietals to Italy, but it wasn't until 1944 that their presence set the stage for Toscana's wine renaissance. That is when Italy's first relevant traveling consultant, Tancredi Biondi Santi, helped Mario Incisa della Rocchetta plant Cabernet Sauvignon at his Tenuta San Guido estate a few miles from the coast.

In 1968, Mario's cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc was named Sassicaia and changed the course of Italian wine. While tradition is Italy's strength, it's important to recognize that it has always welcomed change, and Italians' taste preferences have always evolved. After all, Nebbiolo of Barolo was used primarily to create a sweeter wine until it was altered by Louis Oudart in the 1840s, and the preferred wine of Montalcino during the 16th century was the dry Vermiglio, which later lost favor to the sweet Moscadelletto. The efforts of Tancredi and Mario, though pioneering, were also a part of the constant evolution of Italian wine that is necessary but which suffers abuse at the hands of less scrupulous winemakers. Building on the success of the pioneering "Super" vini da tavola, Bolgheri and the rest of Toscana experienced a proliferation of international varietals. Even those who respect and uphold tradition opened the door to change when wines like Tignanello in 1971, Solaia in 1978, Grattamacco Rosso in 1982, Sammarco in 1980, Ornellaia in 1985, Guado al Tasso in 1990, and Vigna d'Alceo in 1996 charted the course for Toscana's success. The Super Tuscans featured here are among the best Italy has to offer and are mandatory staples for any enthusiast's cellar.

Antinori 2001 Solaia $164.91
Tenuta dell'Ornellaia 2002 Ornellaia $127.45
(Gaja) Ca’ Marcanda 2001 Camarcanda $112.00
Tenuta San Guido 2002 Sassicaia $137.00
Tenuta San Guido 2003 Guidalberto $69.00
Montevertine 2001 Le Pergole Torte $79.95

IWM Super Tuscan Six Pack (6): $690.31*
*Free delivery in Manhattan
**These wines are sold as future arrivals

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Vintage Babbo with IWM

Giacomo Conterno Vertical
with Special Guest, Proprietor Roberto Conterno
Monday, March 20, 2006

Vintage Babbo wine dinners with IWM continues with a truly special event featuring one of Barolo's greats. In the hills of Monforte, another Conterno (this one named Roberto) is anxious to be with us in New York City for an evening that features the legendary Barolos of the Giacomo Conterno estate; Cascina Francia and Montfortino. Once again we'll "go deep" in great vintages to showcase one of Italy's (and the world's) longest-maturing red wines. Roberto will be on hand to answer questions and share a glass or two with us.

HOW TO RESERVE
Contact Iman Dean at 917.715.3599 and specify which tasting you would like to attend. If you have questions, contact David Lynch at 212-614-8495 x110.

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Note: Prices and availability are subject to change.
IWM is not responsible for typographical errors.