Sassicaia
The Tuscan jewel of Tenuta San Guido.
Considered one of the greatest Tuscan wines, Sassicaia was one of the first Italian red wines made in the style of the great wines of Bordeaux.
The story begins in the 1930s, when Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, a Piedmontese aristocrat, married Clarice della Gherardesca, heiress to an estate, called Tenuta San Guido, which covers several thousand hectares of land in the Maremma region of Tuscany.
Like the aristocracy of the time, his ideal wine was Bordeaux.
As soon as he and his wife moved to this property on the Tyrrhenian coast, the Marquis decided to start experimenting with different grape varieties. After many trials, he finally found the variety that thrilled him and gave him the bouquet he was looking for: Cabernet Sauvignon.
The large amount of limestone, clay and stony soil in the Tenuta San Guido estate has many similarities with the gravelly soil of the Bordeaux left bank, the soil where Cabernet Sauvignon is best expressed. In fact, "Sassicaia" means "place of stones" in Italian.
In 1942, he decided to make his dream come true by creating a vineyard on the property, with the ambition of producing a wine worthy of the first Bordeaux Grands Crus.
A pioneer and visionary, Mario Incisa della Rocchetta decided to break with the traditional Tuscan Sangiovese by planting Cabernet Sauvignon, a grape variety of French origin, for the first time in this region.
Before him, no one had ever thought of making a wine using Bordeaux methods on Italian soil.
He made his first 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wine in 1948, under the name Sassicaia.
The production and consumption of this wine was initially reserved for the Marquis's family for over 20 years. During these years, Mario Incisa della Rocchetta realised that his wines were improving with time, developing notes of great finesse. Cabernet Sauvignon, a complex, late-ripening variety, requires more time to mature and promises exceptional ageing potential.
A few years later, in 1965, the Marquis decided to diversify his vineyard by planting Cabernet Franc in addition to Cabernet Sauvignon. This grape variety will account for 15% of the composition of the famous Sassicaia.
The Marquis waited until 1971 to market his first Sassicaia, the 1968 vintage! Since then, this wine has amazed and fascinated wine lovers, crossing borders and making Tenuta San Guido one of the most famous estates in Italy. Sassicaia quickly established itself as one of the best wines of its variety, rivaling the greatest Bordeaux wines. The wines were so exceptional that the estate obtained its own appellation, "D.O.C Bolgheri Sassicaia", which is the only one to be entirely included in a property. Never before seen in Italy!
Driven by the success of Sassicaia, all sorts of French grape varieties are imported en masse by many other Tuscan producers, signalling the advent of a new generation of great Italian wines, which will be nicknamed the "Super Tuscans" and of which Sassicaia is recognised as the first.
The Tenuta San Guido vineyard now covers 75 hectares in the Bolgheri region. Today, the Marquis Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta has taken over the reins of the estate and continues the tradition.
The different products of the estate are available in our cellar:
TENUTA SAN GUIDO - Sassicaia - Vintage 2019: This vintage is one of the finest and most balanced vintages of the last ten years. Aged for two years, including 18 months in 225 litre barrels, this wine expresses the unique micro-climate of Bolgueri with strength, complexity and intensity.
The balance between fruit, acidity and tannins results in a wine of stunning elegance, with aromas of dark berries and fine spices. The palate is dense, with a silky texture and remarkable length.
A wine that will improve over the years, with an aging potential of 20 years. We recommend an hour of decanting time after opening.
TENUTA SAN GUIDO - Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva: This elegant extra virgin olive oil comes from the Tenuta San Guido farm and has a delicately fruity flavour, made from early harvested olives, with a slight herbaceous aroma of artichoke. Ideal for soups, bruschettas, salads and steamed or cooked vegetables.
TENUTA SAN GUIDO - Grappa di Bolgheri Sassicaia: Made with marc of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grown on the estate, this exceptional grappa is obtained after an artisanal distillation in copper stills. This is done by the Poli distillery, founded in 1898 in the Veneto region.
After distillation, this vintage grappa undergoes a double maturation with 4 years of ageing in barrels and a final 6 months in casks containing red wine from Sassicaia.
The result is woody, vanilla, cocoa, coffee and liquorice aromas. A generous and structured palate.
TENUTA SAN GUIDO - Sassicaia - Millésime 2019 - Bottle of 75 cl
TENUTA SAN GUIDO - Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva - Bottle of 75 cl
TENUTA SAN GUIDO - Grappa di Bolgheri Sassicaia - Bottle of 50 cl
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