Sassicaia is a top-shelf wine and arguably the biggest wine on the Italian wine scene. Sassicaia is the first super Tuscan, and is described as the wine that changed the history of Tuscany's wine. Sassicaia has received several 100Ps from various wine writers around the world, and the wine has become an Italian icon within wine. Sassicaia 1985 received the maximum 100P from Robert Parker, and was compared to Mouton-Rothchild, which made the wine world famous overnight. Every year, the wine is also awarded the reviewers' routine top ratings, including the difficult-to-achieve three glasses in Gambero Rosso.
Tenuta San Guido
Sassicaia is made at the Tenuta San Guido winery in Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast. In addition to Sassicaia, San Guido produces 2 other wines: Guidalberto and Le Difese. The story of the winery began when Mario Incisa della Rocchetta dreamed of creating a full-blooded wine back in the 1920s.
In the 1940s, Mario planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, inspired by the world-famous 1st Crus of Bordeaux. In his eyes, the soils of Tenuta San Guido had the same characteristics as those of Bordeaux, characterized by being full of gravel and other small stones. A wine made mainly from Cabernet was a groundbreaking change from the tradition in Tuscany and Piedmont, which had always produced wines from Sangiovese and Nebbiolo respectively.
Mario was the first person in Tuscany to use new French oak barrels, which was a major change in Tuscany. It was not until 1968 that Mario told the rest of the world about his new wine, Sassicaia, which he named after the sandy and gravelly soil.
From the very beginning, the wine became an international success, and at the same time, Sassicaia placed itself at the top of the Italian wine hierarchy. The wine became the first so-called quality wine to truly break through on international export markets.
Historical development of Sassicaia
It was not until 1994 that the DOC regulations were revised, and this is what brought the red wines into the spotlight and at the same time positioned Sassicaia as a very special Bolgheri Superiore. A position that was improved in 2013, when authorities elevated Sassicaia to the very top of the Italian hierarchy as one of the great wines of Italy. Sassicaia now has its very own Denominazione di Origine Controllata Bolgheri Sassicaia.
Sassicaia is today considered the first Super Tuscan, and the father of many other Italian wines based on Cabernet grapes. The vineyard covers approximately 90 hectares, and the planted area is divided into areas adapted based on specific characteristics in both the composition of the soil and the exposure.
The ball started rolling when the 1972 vintage became world famous overnight, when in a blind tasting it placed ahead of 33 other Cabernet Sauvignon dominated wines, including the entire top of Bordeaux. It was the first warning shot that so-called super Tuscans were on the way and slowly, despite the fact that Sassicaia has never been voluminous, generous and immediate like those a young Robert Parker lifted to fame, Sassicaia slowly became an icon on the Italian wine scene.
The ball started rolling in 1972 when it famously placed ahead of 33 other Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wines, including the entire top of Bordeaux. This was undoubtedly the first warning shot that super Tuscans including Sassicaia were slowly making their way into the wine world.
The most amazing thing is that Sassicaia's star now, about 50 years later, is shining brighter and more powerfully than ever before, even though with about 200,000 bottles produced annually it is no longer the small niche production it once was. In fact, the wine may still seem unreasonably reserved when young, it is a wine that only gets better with time. It can be many years before Sassicaia reaches its peak, and it is therefore interesting to find some of the first wines that the world-famous producer Tenuta San Guido sent to the market.
The vineyards
A number of the vines are planted on the mountainside, at an altitude of 200-300 meters above sea level.
The climate is essential for the healthy and correct ripening of the grapes. The sea and the hills that protect the vineyards from strong winds are important factors in the cultivation.
The location of the vineyards in a variety of areas and altitudes is a decisive factor in the complexity of the wines, and contributes to a wide range of harvests, depending on weather conditions and the ripening of the grapes. A study at the University of Pisa proved this. The study highlighted the uniqueness of the vineyards of Tenuta San Guido was the soil type and exposure compared to the surrounding area.
The inheritance
Today, it is Mario's adopted son Sebastiano Rosa, who, together with one of Italy's leading female winemakers Graziana Grassini, continues the proud legacy of producing a colossal wine with great historical significance. It was winemaker Giacomo Tachis who had spotted Graziana back in the 1980s, when she created her first wines. When the old master retired in 2009, Graziana was able to step up alongside Sebastiano Rosa.
Sassicaia wine
Sassicaia is a red wine made from a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. The wine is made from grapes from older vines, which, unlike young vines, give the wine a deep and complex flavor. The grapes come from independent vineyards that Mario planted many years ago. All Sassicaia wines are aged in French oak barrels for typically 24 months, which is the reason for the beautiful toasted barrel notes that are often found in the wine.
The wine has a deep aroma of dark berry fruit including ripe blackcurrants. The color is saturated red purple with a shade of a bluish color. Sassicaia is a red wine with fine polished tannins, which is something that many wine writers, including wine enthusiasts, emphasize about the wine. The wine is made with the clear aim of being the world's best wine, which to a certain extent must be said to have succeeded.
Buy Sassicaia at Bottles with History
At Bottles with History we are experts in aged wine, and we have unique access to a wide range of brandies including Sassicaia, Tiganello, Conterno, Gaja, etc. If you need a bottle, send us an email with a request for the vintage you want, and we will do everything we can to get the item for you.
We have wines from all vintages over the last 100 years, and are the leaders in Denmark within vintage wines.
Italy has a cult wine in Sassicaia that has taken its own responsibility and entered the big wine scene. Tenuta San Guido is a producer that has been a pioneer in the development of Italian wine, and the winery therefore has every right to brand itself as the great pride of Tuscany and Italy.
