Sassicaia isn’t just a wine—it’s a bit of a legend, the one that put the Super Tuscans on the map and forever changed the way the world views Italian wines. Its story starts in the 1940s when Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta had a wild idea. Inspired by the great Bordeaux wines he loved, he decided to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in Tuscany’s Bolgheri region—a place that, up until then, wasn’t exactly known for making world-class wine.
At first, everyone thought Mario was a bit eccentric (planting Bordeaux grapes in Tuscany? Seriously?), but the guy had vision. The stony, gravelly soils of the Tenuta San Guido estate reminded him of Graves in Bordeaux (Sassicaia itself means “area of many stones”), and he figured, why not? It turns out he was right. Starting from the 1945 vintage, Mario Incisa tinkered with his wine experiments for a few more years, but eventually, he realised he needed a bit of expert advice. Enter the Antinori family—his cousins, no less. Mario reached out to their oenologist, Giacomo Tachis, and that’s when things really started to take off. After chatting about the terroir and possibilities, Mario and Giacomo came to the same conclusion: Bordeaux varieties were the way to go. Giacomo brought in some modern winemaking techniques he’d picked up in Bordeaux, and they began fine-tuning their vision for a world-class wine.
Then things started moving fast. Giacomo’s first vintage for Sassicaia hit the barrels in 1968—the estate’s first commercial release. Fast forward ten years, and Sassicaia was already making waves. In a blind tasting hosted by Decanter Magazine, the 1972 Sassicaia beat 33 wines from 11 countries to claim the top spot for ‘Great Clarets.’ Suddenly, this little “table wine” from Tuscany wasn’t so little anymore—people started to notice. Take note 1969 and 1971, there were no Sassicaia produced as they did not think the grapes were good enough.
But it was the 1985 vintage that sealed Sassicaia’s fate. Crafted with 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, it earned a mind-blowing 100-point review from Robert Parker, who said it reminded him of a 1986 Mouton Rothschild. From that moment on, Sassicaia was on a whole new level.
Giacomo worked with Sassicaia right up until his final vintage in 2007. He passed away in 2016, but his legacy? That’s cemented forever. He’s known as the man who kicked off Italy’s wine renaissance and put Sassicaia—and Super Tuscans—on the map for good.
Sassicaia is always a blend, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon with a dash of Cabernet Franc, bringing that classic Bordeaux elegance but with a distinct Tuscan twist. The wine comes from vineyards that are practically hugging the Mediterranean coastline, where the combination of sun, sea breezes, and rocky soils creates grapes that are full of depth, concentration, and complexity.
But here’s the kicker—Sassicaia was the first Italian wine to get its own DOC. Prior to that, Sassicaia was always classified as “Vino da Tavola” (“Table wine”, the lowest quality level in terms of classification) since day one as it did not conform to local DOC or even IGT regulations. In 1994, Bolgheri DOC was created and in 2013, Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC was created just for this wine, making it a true icon of Italian winemaking.
The winemaking at Tenuta San Guido is pretty much as precise and meticulous as it gets. The grapes are hand-harvested and fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to keep everything fresh and clean. After that, the wine ages in French oak barriques for around 24 months, giving it that signature structure and a subtle kiss of oak.
What you get in the bottle is magic: deep, rich flavors of blackcurrant, wild berries, and a hint of spice, all tied together with silky tannins and a finish that seems to go on forever. It’s elegant, complex, and has this incredible aging potential, so if you can resist opening it right away (we know it’s hard), Sassicaia just gets better with time.
If you ever get the chance to visit Tenuta San Guido, do it. It’s like stepping into a piece of wine history. The estate is perched in the heart of Bolgheri, with breathtaking views of vineyards that stretch out towards the sea. Walking through the cellars where Sassicaia ages is kind of like getting a backstage pass to one of the world’s most iconic wines.
Apart from Sassicaia, Tenuta san Guido also produces 2 wines - Le Difese and Guidalberto. ’Le Difese’ are the tusks of the wild boar. This wine is their entry level label, made for immediate drinking within two or three years. It is usually a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese - Similar to Tignanello in a way.
Guidalberto, named after the Clarice’s father, was produced after the amazing 1985 vintage to cover market demand. Not a second wine, Guidalberto has its own identity and style, using mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and some Merlot in the blend.
