2010 Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido, Bolgheri 12x75cl

Tenuta San Guido, Sassicaia: A Super-Tuscan Icon

Sassicaia is easily Italy’s single most important fine wine and among the most recognisable labels on the planet. A mainstay of top restaurant wine lists and serious private collections across the world, it has a richly deserved status as a fine wine icon.

From Bolgheri on the coast, Sassicaia is the most famous and revered of the Super-Tuscans. These are serious wines that ignore the rules and regulations of the local DOC by using non-mandated grapes.

Sassicaia unlocked the stunning potential of its terroir by using international grape varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc make up the cuvee, rather than the Sangiovese-dominated blend that was usual in the region. Because of this, for many years, Sassicaia was officially classified as a simple IGT, a table wine. Obviously, it is much, much more than that.

The history of Sassicaia dates back to the 1940s, when Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, inspired by wines tasted in France, planted some Cabernet Sauvignon vines on his estate in Bolgheri. He named the wine Sassicaia – after the stony ground in the vineyard – and kept it for his own consumption and for his friends. It was released commercially for the first time in 1968 and has gone on to be a global phenomenon.

Sassicaia is the first wine of the estate, but look out for the two other excellent wines in the portfolio, Guidalberto and Difese. Both offer a superb window into this benchmark estate and its world-class winemaking team.

Sassicaia: The Perfect Fine Wine?

The vineyard of Sassicaia covers 75 hectares, and it is divided into 40 plots with different exposures, altitudes, and microclimates. The soil is composed of clay, sand, and gravel, and it provides good drainage and heat retention.

This, in combination with the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes, results in a wine that is both powerful and elegant. It is complex and intellectual, yet accessible and easy to enjoy. In many ways, it is the perfect fine wine. This style and substance have won it a worldwide army of fans and ensure huge demand for both new releases and back-vintages.