The “Tenuta San Guido” vineyard is situated 13 kilometres off the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, near the municipality of Bolgheri in the DOC region of the same name, south of Livorno in the Italian region of Tuscany. It is very rare (except in Bordeaux) for a wine’s name to be synonymous with the producer, whilst the name of the estate itself remains relatively unknown. In this particular case, the wine in question is ‘Sassicaia’, produced by this estate.
It was here that Marchese Mario Incisa della Rochetta (1899–1983), a descendant of an ancient noble family dating back to the time of the Roman Empire, made his home. He had a family legacy to live up to, as his grandfather, Leopoldo Incisa, had compiled a bibliography on the most important Italian and international grape varieties.
First wine in 1948
Even as a young student of agriculture in Pisa, the Marchese had dreamt of making a “noble wine”, with Bordeaux serving as his benchmark and model. He therefore began experimenting with French grape varieties. In 1944, Cabernet Sauvignon was planted on a stony slope below Castiglioncello Castle. At the time, this lay outside all recognised wine-growing regions. The first wine was produced in 1948, but the vintages up to 1960 were consumed only on the estate itself. A few cases of each vintage were set aside for ageing. Through regular tastings, the Marchese noted that the wines were improving steadily.
Vineyards
In 1965, two further vineyards were planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It was only at the insistence of his son Nicolò and his famous nephew Piero Antinori – a member of the legendary Florentine winemaking family – that the Marchese was persuaded to market the wine. The Sassicaia plot in particular is characterised by a distinctive soil type, named after the stony ground (sassi = stones).
First red wine in 1968
The first Sassicaia red wine was released in 1968. This wine, made from Cabernet Sauvignon with a small proportion of Cabernet Franc – which was atypical for Italy at the time – immediately caused an international sensation and quickly became a cult wine. For many years, however, it could only be marketed as a VdT (Vino da Tavola), as French grape varieties were not permitted for DOC wines. Alongside Tignanello, it was one of the very first examples of what would later be known as Super Tuscans. Later, temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel and ageing in French barriques were introduced. The wine was initially bottled and marketed by Piero Antinori. Following his father’s death, Niccolò Incisa della Rochetta moved the bottling operations to Bolgheri in the 1980s.
Bolgheri Sassicaia
In 1994, a red wine was also approved within the Bolgheri DOC region, to which Sassicaia – alongside Ornellaia – made a significant contribution. Today, Bolgheri Sassicaia is a DOC region in its own right.
Winemaking
Sassicaia is blended from Cabernet Sauvignon (at least 80 to 85 per cent) and Cabernet Franc (15 to 20 per cent). The two-week maceration takes place in stainless steel tanks, after which the red wine matures for 18 to 24 months in barriques, a third of which are new. This intensely ruby-coloured red wine has exceptional ageing potential.
The estate is a member of the international association of family-run top estates, PFV (Primum Familiae Vini).
Tenuta San Guido: By Lucarelli – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
