Tenuta San Guido - Sassicaia and Guidalberto

“Sassicaia could be described as Italy’s answer to Bordeaux, but we prefer to see it as Italy’s answer to the world! We think Sassicaia is one of the greatest wine creations of our century. It also happens to be a simply marvellous drink”. - Serena SutcliffE MW and David Peppercorn MW, Italy's Answer to the World

"My particular and favourite vintage is certainly the ’88: it reminds me of the teaching of my father Mario who dreamt of creating a “thoroughbred” wine and this vintage reflects his innovative dream.

My dream for the future: … the hope that the Chinese will adopt the term: “A glass of red Tuscan wine a day keeps the doctor away...” - Marchese Nicolò Incisa Della Rocchetta

Nicolò’s most recent wine is named after Guidalberto Della Gherardesca who lived in Bolgheri in the early 18th Century and who pioneered viticulture in this area. It was launched with the 2000 vintage; the first new wine to be released by the family since the launch of Sassicaia itself with the 1968.

The grapes (45% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Sangiovese/ 60% Cabernet S. and 40% Merlot from vintage 2006 ) come from vineyards which abut the Sassicaia vineyards, and which belong to a cousin of Nicolò’s. The grape varieties are fermented separately in stainless steel vats, and the wine is then aged in oak barrels: 10% new French, 20% new American and the remainder used formerly for Sassicaia. Blending takes place in the February following the vintage, after 18 months in oak.

‘..vintage after vintage, Sassicaia proves itself to be a wine of extraordinary finesse and exceptional quality, especially in its tannins’.
Italian Wines 2001, Gambero Rosso Editore.

Sassicaia is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc from the estate’s five parcels of vines. Their average age is 30 years and approximately 15,000 cases are produced annually.

‘Sassicaia is the quintessential Italian Cabernet Sauvignon. In very good to outstanding vintages, it shows a wonderful richness of berry, cassis and even a minty character, along with firm, silky tannins and a great backbone of acidity’. - James Suckling, The Wine Spectator

The Sassicaia estate at Bolgheri, in coastal Tuscany, came to Nicolò through his mother, Clarice Della Gheradesca, whose family has owned land here since 1800. The magnificent avenue of Cypress trees, which lines the road for three miles from San Guido up the hill to Bolgheri, was planted by Guidalberto Della Gheradesca at the beginning of the 1800s. It is now a famous landmark, protected by law as part of the landscape.

Traditionally, the family only made wine here for the consumption of relations, friends and local people; but Nicolò’s father Mario, who came from Piedmont, was a great wine lover, particularly of the best Bordeaux wines. Mario decided to make his own wine on the estate, which until then had only been famous for the breeding of racehorses and the production of tulips. The Antinoris were cousins and there may also, perhaps, have been an element of competition involved.

The Incisa Della Rocchetta family launched Sassicaia onto the open market with the 1968 vintage: the first to be commercially produced; and it was as well received as the Premiers Crus of Bordeaux. Six hundred cases were produced, and were marketed by the Antinoris.

It was after completing his studies in Geneva that Nicolò became involved in the estate. Initially he was not permitted by his father to have anything to do with the wine because Mario feared that he would spoil things. A fascinating but domineering man, Mario must initially have been a difficult man to follow; but the worldwide recognition enjoyed by Sassicaia today speaks eloquently of Nicolò’s success.

The Incisa Della Rocchetta family emblem, a star, is at the centre of the Sassicaia label. It is not only the heraldic device of the family, but also possesses the magical virtues of the stellone of Italy.

The Tenuta San Guido estate lies 5 miles inland from south-western Tuscany’s Mediterranean coast. It extends across 5,000 acres, of which 148 are under vine.

The first vineyard was planted on the estate in the early 1940s (with some French grafts of Cabernet Sauvignon purchased from Château Lafite) near Castiglioncello, the Incisa Della Rochetta fortress which dominates the local landscape. The site was selected because of its perfect microclimate and the shelter from the sea breezes provided by the castle. The vineyard carries the name of the castle, and as each subsequent vineyard has been planted, it has been named after a nearby farmhouse or landmark. Eighty per cent of the vineyards enjoy a south-westerly exposure, and are planted at an altitude of between 250-300 feet above sea level; with the remainder further into the hills at an altitude of between 500-600 feet, seven miles inland.

I still remember my first meeting with my friend John …15 years ago …!! He came to Tuscany with some members of his Ausone Club – I booked the best restaurant I could find in the area, while I was a little worried that the evening could be boring for my sophisticated guests coming from so far … finally we were 12 people, around a table, able to drink roughly 15 bottles of Sassicaia – this is the evidence that a decent wine can always put everyone in a good mood! Our dinner was finally not so bad, as you can imagine and this was a start of a long friendship.

My favourite story about my life in wine world… I have a few in my mind, but one is the funniest to me: we were in Canada, in Montreal, the temperature was minus 30° celsius and there was a huge line standing out of the shop from 4 o’clock in the morning waiting for Sassicaia…One year later, the same people had a badge on their dress and there was written: “I froze my ass for the 81 Sassicaia…” How loyal our supporters are! - Marchese Nicolò Incisa Della Rocchetta

‘Sassicaia is always instantly recognizable, largely because of its amazing fine-grained tannins, which are impeccably silky and velvetsmooth.’
Italian Wines 2001, Gambero Rosso Editore.

Harvesting is all done by hand and with a low yield, of 5-6 tonnes of grapes per hectare, to ensure that each vine produces fruit rich in sugar, tannins, and potential extract.

The original Sassicaia winery was located in Castiglioncello, the highest point of the estate. However, as demand for the wine increased, the winery needed to expand, and a new site was found, at the western end of the Cypress avenue, opposite the small church of San Guido.

Vinification takes place in stainless steel vats with maceration normally lasting for around 14 days. Small French oak barriques, of which a third are renewed each year, are used to age the wine for 20 months. The wine is then aged in bottle, in the Tenuta San Guido cellars, for 6 months before
being released for sale.

‘Tasting through several consecutive vintages of Sassicaia with winemaker Sebastiano Rosa (formerly at Argiano in Montalcino), one can’t help noticing the indelible sense of terroir that emanates from the 25 to 30 year-old vines that run deep in the stony soils of the San Guido estate (sasso means stone in Italian). Finesse, not power, is the hallmark of these wines. As Rosa put it to me, ‘we look for balance and suppleness – the Bordeaux model. We don’t look for deeply colored and extracted, palate-staining wines’.
Steve Tanzer’s latest International Wine Cellar, July/August 2003 Issue 109.

Sassicia is the greatest Cabernet-based wine of Italy and the first Italian wine to be judged on a par with Bordeaux Premiers Crus. In many respects it is responsible for establishing the reputation of Tuscan wines made from non-Italian grape varieties. It certainly presaged the wave of Super Tuscans which has emerged over the last 20 years; and much greater credit than he receives is due to Nicolò Incisa for this.

Sassicaia has become a scarce commodity and has reached iconic status since being declared the best Cabernet Sauvignon out of 33 wines from 11 countries, in 1978 at a Decanter Magazine Tasting by Hugh Johnson, Serena Sutcliffe and Clive Coates. It is our privilege to be Tenuta San Guido’s exclusive representative in the UK.

Why did you become a winemaker?
“More than a winemaker I would define myself as a wine producer and wine lover. This because my father, being a great wine connoisseur, gave me a great culture and understanding of wine making and lifestyle.”
What is your favourite smell or flavour?
White truffles from Piedmont, my fatherland.
What is your favourite wine other than your own?
Many wines thrill me and not one in particular is my favourite. Travelling I enjoy drinking the wines produced in different areas.

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