Tenuta San Guido

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Early 80s vintages of Sassicaia

Tenuta San Guido is an Italian wine producer in the DOC Bolgheri in Toscana, known as a producer
of "Super Tuscan" wine. Its wineSassicaia is considered one of Italy's leading Bordeaux-style red
wines.[1][2][3] The estate also produces a second wine, Guidalberto, and the third wine Le Difese.
Tenuta San Guido is member of the Primum Familiae Vini.
Contents
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1 History
2 Production

3 References

4 External links

History[edit]
Tenuta San Guido was established by marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who was also coowner of Ribot, possibly the best horse of all time. Considered the seminal "Super Tuscan", the
name Sassicaia (Italian sasso meaning stone) indicating a stony field, [1] originated in 1948 when first
produced by Incisa della Rocchetta using Cabernet Sauvignon vines and for years only used for
family consumption.[1] A legend about these vines being sourced from Chteau Lafite-Rothschild,
[2]
was dismissed by Mario's son, Nicol Incisa della Rocchetta, as the vineyard was planted from
"cuttings from 50-year-old vines from a friends estate near Pisa". [4] Though for years Sassicaia
remained the marcheses personal wine, his son Nicol and nephew Piero Antinori convinced him to
release it commercially, starting with the 1968 vintage, which was unveiled in 1971. [4] Though initially
there were only a few thousand bottles available, Sassicaia was an immediate hit with famed Italian
critic Luigi Veronelli, who dubbed it fairy-tale wine (vino da favola), thanks to the wines complex

bouquet and finesse.[4] To keep up with the sudden demand, Mario Incisa della Rocchetta hired
consulting enologist Giacomo Tachis to further refine the wine while increasing production. [4]
At a 1978 Decanter tasting of "great clarets", a panel including Hugh Johnson, Serena
Sutcliffe and Clive Coates awarded the 1972 Sassicaia victory over a field of 33 wines from 11
countries, and established the wine's international reputation. [1]
In 1994 Sassicaia was granted its own DOC (Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC), the only wine from a single
estate in Italy to enjoy this privilege.[4] Before that, and in similarity to other wines made outside the
traditional DOC/DOCG regulations, Sassicaia was classified as an Indicazione geografica
tipica (IGT). Initially it was a Vino da tavola, which is normally a category for wines of little
complexity.

Production[edit]
Tenuta San Guido cultivates fruit from several plots scattered around Bolgheri extending 75 hectares
(190 acres), with a grape variety distribution of 85% Cabernet Sauvignonand 15% Cabernet Franc.[1]
[5]
The annual production is approximately 180,000 bottles.
The second wine, Guidalberto, was introduced in 2000, and is composed of 45% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 10% Sangiovese, and has an annual production of 150,000 bottles.
The most recent addition to the portfolio, Le Difese,[6] is composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and
30% Sangiovese, with an annual production of 120,000 bottles.