Description
History
Crafted by Tenuta San Guido, Sassicaia became its own DOC in 1994, following a vision set in the 1940s by Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, combining Bordeaux varieties in Bolgheri. The 1995 season, characterized by cooler, rainier weather, resulted in delayed ripening and high natural acidity, which contributed to the wine’s balanced freshness and depth.
Grape varieties
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc.
Vinification
Fermented with 14–18 days of maceration, followed by malolactic fermentation and 24 months of barrel ageing in both new and used barriques for optimal structure and elegance.
Alcohol content
12% .
Tasting notes
Opaque ruby. Aromas of blackcurrant and black cherry, violet, leather, tobacco, licorice and subtle minerals. On the palate, it’s intense, tannic, vibrant, with a sweet mid-palate and a tremendously long, savory finish.
Food pairings
A prime match with game, braised red meats, T-bone steaks, and hard cheeses. With proper storage, it can evolve beautifully through 2030–2035 .
Brand
Tenuta San Guido
In the early twenties in Italy, Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, a lover of French wines and in particular of the great structured red wines of Bordeaux, realized that the territory of the Tyrrhenian coast of the Bolgheri area had many geographical, climate and terrain similarities with the Graves area of Bordeaux. "Graves" in fact means gravel, precisely because of the stony composition of the soils in the French area, just like "Sassicaia" within the San Guido estate they own. So he began to think of a Bordeaux blend produced in that area and began experimenting in the early 1920s, achieving good results, even if the wine was not yet aged for long in oak barrels. In fact, from 1948 to 1967, the Sassicaia remained for strictly private use and consumption on the estate. However, every year, a few cases of wine were left to age in the Castiglioncello cellar. Tasting it, the marquis began to realize that the old vintages, over time, improved significantly, even transforming their defects into virtues. Strong and enthusiastic about these considerations, he invested himself in winemaking techniques and in 1968 the product was placed on the market for the first time, with a welcome worthy of a Bordeaux Premier Cru. In the following years the premises were implemented with the creation of a temperature-controlled cellar, the acquisition of steel vats for fermentation and French oak barriques intended for the elevation and aging of the wines