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tenuta san guido 
Markies Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, een student in Pisa in de jaren 1920, droomde ervan een edele wijn te creëren.
Als liefhebber van de bordeauxwijnen zocht hij zijn toevlucht in de Franse variëteit cabernet sauvignon. Op Tenuta San Guido werd ‘Sassicaia’ geboren, wat zoveel betekent als ‘met stenen bezaaide grond’.
In 1968 kwam de eerste ‘Super Tuscan’ op de markt. Wereldwijde erkenning bleef niet uit, want als geen andere wijn symboliseert het icoon ‘Sassicaia’ de sterke opmars van de Italiaanse wijnen...
Van “Tenuta San Guido – Sassicaia”wordt jaarlijks een beperkt aantal flessen geproduceerd. Het wijnjaar 2008 is in Italië zeer goed geweest, de druivenoogst uitstekend en de wijnen van topkwaliteit met een geweldig potentieel.
- Tenuta San Guido – Sassicaia 2007 - 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet
- Tenuta San Guido - Guidalberto 2008 - IGT 40% merlot,40% cabernet sauvignon,20% sangiovese
guidalberto 
De Guidalberto is de 'andere' wijn van Tenuta San Guido. De eerste jaargang dateert van 2000. De druiven die voor de productie van deze wijn gebruikt worden, zijn deels afkomstig van eigen wijngaarden en deels van gehuurde wijngaarden van familieleden van de Markies Incisa della Rochetta. Ze liggen allemaal in Bolgheri, binnen de grenzen van de DOC Sassicaia.
De blend bestaat uit 45% merlot, 45% cabernet sauvignon en 10% sangiovese. Dit is anders dan de Sassicaia en kunnen we dus niet echt spreken van een tweede wijn. Ook het gebruik van Amerikaanse eik bij de rijping van deze wijn is nieuw en geeft hem een ander karakter. Toch zijn de elegantie en finesse, die zo typisch zijn voor wijnen van Tenuta San Guido, duidelijk aanwezig.
Guidalberto della Gherardesca leefde in het begin van de 19de eeuw en was een voorvader van de Markies Incisa della Rochetta. Hij was een pionier op het gebied van land- en wijnbouw. Ook de wereldberoemde en geklasseerde Cipressenlaan van Bolgheri werd in zijn opdracht aangelegd. De wijn is een homage aan deze bijzondere man.
sassicaia - geschiedenis
Als student in Pisa tijdens de jaren '20 droomde Markies Mario Incisa della Rocchetta ervan een "edele" wijn te creëren. Net a ls de meeste Italiaanse aristocraten uit die tijd had hij een uitgesproken voorliefde voor fijne Bordeauxwijnen. Nadat hij samen met zijn echtgenote, Clarice, zijn intrek had genomen in hun domein in Tenuta San Guido aan de Middellandse Zee, experimenteerde hij met verschillende Franse druivenvariëteiten. Zijn conclusie luidde onomwonden: "het bouquet dat ik zocht" vond ik in de Cabernet.
Een wijn met de Cabernet Sauvignon als hoofdcomponent betekende een radicale ommekeer van de traditionele Toscaanse en Piëmontese Sangiovese en Nebbiolo variëteiten. Niemand die het ooit had overwogen om op Italiaanse bodem een wijn volgens de Bordeaux-aanpak te bereiden, en beslist niet in een gebied dat binnen het wijnuniversum geen voet aan de grond had.
Afgezien van het bouquet van de Cabernet dat de goedkeuring van de Markies wegdroeg, werd zijn beslissing om de wijnstokvariëteit in Tenuta San Guido aan te planten beïnvloed door de sterke gelijkenissen tussen het Toscaanse dorpje en de Gravesstreek in Bordeaux. "Graves" is het Franse voor "gravel". Geheel gelijklopend dankt Sassicaia, wat in het Toscaans dialect "met stenen bezaaide grond" betekent, zijn naam aan de bodemgesteldheid van Tenuta San Guido.
Maar de consumenten die gewend waren aan de lichte plaatselijke wijnen reageerden niet positief op de eerste oogsten van Sassicaia. Wijnen die bereid worden van de meer complexe Cabernet Sauvignon druiven doen er langere tijd over om te rijpen en om volop tot ontwikkeling te komen. De reden waarom Sassicaia van 1948 tot 1960 enkel op het domein werd geschonken.
Ieder jaar werd een klein aantal kistjes in de kelders van Castiglioncello bewaard. De Markies ontdekte dat de kwaliteit van de wijn er met het verstrijken van de jaren, echter met rasse schreden op vooruitging. Zoals vaak het geval met wijnen van grote herkomst, blijkt datgene wat aanvankelijk als een defect werd beschouwd met het verstrijken van de tijd zich uiteindelijk te ontpoppen tot één van de grote kwaliteiten. Al snel drongen zijn vrienden en familieleden er bij hem op aan te volharden in zijn passie en deze revolutionaire stijl van wijnbereiding verder te vervolmaken.
In 1965 plantte hij twee bijkomende wijngaarden aan met de Cabernet Sauvignon en de Cabernet Franc; de nieuwe "Sassicaia" wijngaard lag zowat 250 meter lager dan de oorspronkelijke Cabernet wijngaard nabij Castiglioncello. Bovendien was "Aianova" iets meer verheven en dus meer blootgesteld aan de weersomstandigheden. Uiteindelijk raakte alle wijn die op het domein werd geproduceerd bekend onder de naam Sassicaia.
sassicaia - marchese nicolò incisa della rocchetta
Marchese Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta werd op 28 maart 1936 in Rome geboren waar bij verbleef tot zijn familie in 1942 naar Bolgheri verhuisde.
Nadat hij zijn diploma aan de Universiteit van Geneve behaalde, keerde de Markies terug naar Italië om zijn vader, Mario Incisa, te helpen bij het leiden van het uitgestrekt familiedomein.
Al snel richtte hij zijn aandacht op het Tenuta San Guido domein, waar Sassicaia wordt geproduceerd. De afgelopen twee decennia stak de Markies al zijn energie in de creatie van zijn vader.
Vandaag houdt hij de traditie van innovatie en uitmuntendheid die eigen zijn aan Sassicaia in ere.
sassicaia - geschiedenis volgens giacomo tachis
Op 13 maart 1999 ontving Giacomo Tachis een eretitel Landbouwwetenschappen en Technologie van de Universiteit van Pisa, "omwille van het buitengewone voorbeeld dat hij stelde voor de Italiaanse wijncultuur ". Als goed Piëmontees (hij werd in 1933 in Poirino nabij Turijn geboren) begreep Tachis maar al te goed wat bescheidenheid was.
Toen hij zijn lauwerenkrans in ontvangst nam sprak hij: "hier sta ik dan op het podium, terwijl ik me nog altijd een "wijnroerder" voel, zoals ze het in mijn omgeving plegen te zeggen". Tachis studeerde oenologie bij Emile Peynaud en was verbonden aan de universiteiten van Bordeaux en Davis in Californië. Dertig jaar lang was hij hoofdoenoloog en productiedirecteur bij Antinori.
De schepper van Tignanello en Solaia werkte van meet af aan samen met de Incisa della Rocchetta aan de perfectionering van Sassicaia. "Toen ik voor het eerst naar Bolgheri ging, was ik zowat zevenentwintig.
Aanvankelijk trok ik om de twee of drie weken naar Palone waar de witte Antinori wijn werd gebotteld en de befaamde rosé voor de San Casciano cantina werd geproduceerd. Ik was bevriend met Ferracani, de directeur van het domein, en bracht de weekends door met Vannozzi en Gabellini, de hoofdopzichter en directeur van het belendende San Guido domein.
Er viel heel wat te vertellen over de nieuwe wijn die bereid werd van Franse wijnstokken die op de heuvels van Castiglioncello gedijden. Niet meer dan een experiment van een beginner dacht ik eerst. Mario Incisa had Cabernet Sauvignon en Cabernet Franc, samen met een paar Sangiovese en Cannaiolo wijnstokken geplant op een paar lapjes land.
"De ontdekking van de Markies wekte heel wat belangstelling, zeker toen hij na een eerste periode van tegenslag, als bij toeval op de eerste flessen stuitte en een proeverij organiseerde die heel wat enthousiasme uitlokte. Het was overduidelijk dat hij een wijn voor de enkeling in gedachte had, die slechts in kleine hoeveelheden zou worden geproduceerd.
Maar de Antinori, neven van de Incisa, vatten de stier bij de hoorns. Chianti zat op dat ogenblik in een diepe crisis: waarom dan met dit buitenbeentje geen poging wagen om de grote Franse rode wijnen naar de kroon te steken? Na samenspraak met Mario's zoon Nicoló werd ik gevraagd hun oom een handje toe te steken.
De eerste keren ontmoette ik de Markies op de Frantoio di San Guido, in een soort kelder voor de wijn van Castiglioncello. Deze werd later overgebracht en gereorganiseerd in de opslagplaats van San Guido waar eerder gladiolen werden opgeslagen.
Zoals bekend was de Markies een heel subtiel persoon. Ook ik was het mikpunt van zijn bijtende en sarcastische humor: er waren punten waarover we van mening verschilden. Al snel besefte ik dat hij alles wist over de bebouwingstechnieken en in het algemeen, durf ik te stellen, over het verbouwen van wijn; "op het terrein", in de wijngaard, had hij een stap voor op mij.
Hij had veel gestudeerd en onderhield althans schriftelijke contacten met alle grote Franse namen van de wijnbereiding. En niet enkel omwille van zijn adellijke status; zijn passie voor oenologie en oenografie, en zijn gesofisticeerde smaakzin, vormden zijn visitekaartje.
"Hij trachtte wijn te bereiden volgens de Franse methode: gisting in open vaten, rijpen op houten vaten. Er deden zich problemen voor, voor iemand zoals hij. We kwamen overeen de beste barriques te kiezen. Ik werd gevraagd om een "technische" evaluatie te maken en de meest geschikte jaren uit te kiezen die dan op de markt zouden worden gebracht.
Ik liet mijn neus het werk doen, proefde de wijn die in de kelder lag en duidde mijn opinie aan met een X of een uitroepteken die ik in krijt op de vaten aanbracht. Ik vertelde er evenwel bij dat ik later alles in het lab nog eens wilde controleren. Ik ben niet zeker in welke mate de Markies mijn onherroepelijke beoordelingen waardeerde.
"Uit mijn nota's die ik heel zorgvuldig bijhield, kan ik afleiden dat ik de Castiglioncello voor het eerst op 12 november 1971 degusteerde. Ik probeerde niet meer dan een vijftiental kistjes, die in de kelders van Cerrone en Frantoio lagen. De best bewaarde laat ons zeggen. Van de jaren 1966, 1967, 1968 en in mindere mate van 1965 hielden we zowat 3000 flessen over.
Aan het einde van dat jaar, we schrijven 1971, startte Antinori met de echte marketing van de Castiglioncello wijn; de flessen werden, samen met de Antinori wijnen, in hun wijnzaak aan de Via Aurelia of rechtstreeks aan detailhandelaars verkocht.
"Toen de verkoop een succes bleek en deskundigen met gunstige commentaren uitpakten, beslisten we nieuwe wijnstokken aan te planten. Ik had mijn eigen opvattingen over vinificatiesystemen, maar Mario Inciso ook. We waren het erover eens dat de wijn in eiken barriques moest rijpen, maar waren het niet eens over de duur van het rijpingsproces. Ik hield altijd staande dat wijn rijp, maar niet uitgeput in de bottelarij moest toekomen, zoals vaak het geval was en nog steeds is bij sommige Italiaanse producenten.
De grootste onenigheid hadden we over de fermentatie: in een brief van 9 juli 1975 schreef ik: 'wat de aankoop van houten vaten voor de vinificatie betreft, spijt het me u te moeten meedelen dat ik daartegen gekant ben. Enige tijd geleden stelde ik metalen vaten vervaardigd uit roestvrij staal of staal en hars voor de fermentatie voor. Met dergelijke vaten kan de temperatuur tijdens de fermentatie laag worden gehouden, wat nagenoeg onmogelijk is met houten vaten. De meest prestigieuze chateaux in Bordeau en de beste Spaanse producenten (die de grootste kelders met barriques hebben) fermenteren hun most in metaal, omdat dit de beste smaak en aroma oplevert...'.
"Maar Mario Incisa wilde niet horen van roestvrij staal. Hij beweerde dat vinificatie in hout de lekkerste wijnsmaak opleverde. Ik kon rekenen op heel wat steun van zijn zoon Nicolò, die het proces van wijnbereiding inmiddels van heel nabij volgde. Ondanks zijn uitbarstingen van trots - de appel valt niet ver van de boom, trachtte hij de praktische problemen vanuit een heel andere invalshoek te benaderen.
Wanneer hij in de kelders een geprikkeld humeur bemerkte, reageerde hij met een Olympische kalmte en slaagde er met enkele woorden in de rust te herstellen. Hij nam persoonlijk de controle over het o zo belangrijke proces van het snoeien, waarbij hij naar het voorbeeld van zijn vader veel te strikt te werk ging.
De komst van de Antinori vereenvoudigde de situatie en de Markies trok zich dankbaar terug. Hij koesterde heel zeker de hoop om op een ouderwetse manier zijn eigen wijn te maken, een wijn waarvan hij samen met een paar nauwe vrienden kon genieten. Hij had echter nooit de tijd.
Samen met Nicolò Incisa ging ik mijn eigen weg. Ik bracht al mijn tijd door met het proces van de wijnbereiding, gaande van de oogst tot en met het overhevelen van de wijn in de barriques en het bottelen, zodat er een frisse en aromatische wijn ontstaat. De duur van het rijpen werd van meer dan twee jaar ingekort tot hooguit tweeëntwintig maanden.
Ik slaagde erin van alle irrelevante wijnstokken af te geraken en het percentage Cabernet Franc terug te dringen van 30% tot 15%. De Franc heeft een voortreffelijk aroma maar minder structuur dan de Sauvignon. Voor mij is de body van een wijn belangrijker dan de neus.
Ook de opbrengst per hectare werd geleidelijk teruggebracht en het gebruik van scheikundige meststoffen nagenoeg volledig geëlimineerd. Niet-intensieve, natuurlijke wijnbouw: dat is hoe ik de continuïteit van Sassicaia van vader op zoon zie ".
sassicaia - de wijngaarden : karakter en structuur
De microzone van Sassicaia bestaat uit twee afzonderlijke gebieden: het eerste aan de voet van de heuvel met wijngaarden op een hoogte van ongeveer 60 meter boven de zeespiegel met een bodemgesteldheid die teruggaat tot in de vroege Ijstijd.
Het tweede gebied bestaat uit met wijnstokken begroeide heuvels op een hoogte van ongeveer 250-300 meter. De ondergrond hier dateert nog van de vroege Krijttijd en het Eoceen en het Paleoceen. De dichtheid varieert van vier- tot vijfduizend wijnstokken per hectare.
De meest frequent gebruikte wortelstok is een kloon van 420 A, die in alle wijngaarden goede resultaten oplevert. De gemiddelde groeikracht beperkt immers de ontwikkeling en de productiviteit van de wijnstok. Cabernet Sauvignon is goed voor 85 procent van de gebruikte wijnstokvariëteiten, terwijl Cabernet Franc de resterende 15 procent voor zijn rekening neemt.
Momenteel werd 60 hectare aangeplant met deze wijnstokken. 55 hectare ervan is momenteel in productie. De wijnstokken worden gesnoeid in lage snoeren tot op een hoogte van ongeveer 40 centimeter boven de grond. Elke wijnstok heeft vijf tot zes scheuten die worden gesnoeid tot uitlopers met twee knoppen. De planten kunnen tien tot twaalf knoppen tellen en zowat veertig- tot vijftigduizend knoppen per hectare voortbrengen.
Hoewel het snoeien in dergelijke lage snoeren het eigenlijke cultiveren stukken moeilijker maakt en het gebruik van mechanische hulpmiddelen nagenoeg volledig uitsluit, vormt dit een garantie voor een correcte loofindex (L.A.I.). Met andere woorden: de fotosynthese verloopt efficiënter en de druiven kunnen onder ideale omstandigheden rijpen dankzij de warmte die door de stenen ondergrond van de Saccicaia wijngaarden wordt weerkaatst.
Iedere plant brengt 1 tot 1,5 kg vruchten voort. De gemiddelde opbrengst per hectare bedraagt ongeveer 55 kwintaal, of 5.500 kilogram.
Tijdens bepaalde jaren wanneer het klimaat en het seizoen de druifproductie bevorderen, kunnen de trossen tijdens het vormen van de vruchten worden uitgedund. Het rendement wordt echter strikt aan banden gelegd door de wintersnoei en door het "op 1 zetten".
Het behoud van gezonde wijnranken is geen gigantisch probleem. Een goede blootstelling aan het zonlicht en een constant zacht briesje creëren een microklimaat dat ongunstig is voor de ontwikkeling van zwamparasieten. Dit betekent dat men zich kan beperken tot een relatief milde bestrijding van meeldauw. Desnoods kan men daarvoor gebruik maken van traditionele plantbeschermende producten met een heel beperkte impact op de omgeving.
Meer nog, aangezien de wijngaarden ingesloten liggen tussen bossen, worden parasieten die de wijnranken zouden kunnen aantasten door tal van natuurlijke roofvijanden op veilige afstand gehouden zodat het gebruik van insecticiden doorgaans volstrekt overbodig is.
Ook de bemesting verloopt heel evenwichtig en wordt tot een minimum beperkt. Er worden geen micro-elementen aan de Sassicaia wijngaarden toegevoegd omdat die al in voldoende mate in de bodem aanwezig zijn.
sassicaia - doc-map
De enorme reputatie van Sassicaia werd door de Italiaanse overheid bekroond met de toekenning van een eigen appellatie en DOC-status (Denominazione di Orgine Controlata = een eigen gecontroleerde oorsprongsbenaming), een resultaat van de status die de wijn in de Italiaanse (en wereldwijde) wijngemeenschap bekleedt.
sassicaia - vinificatie en rijping
Sassicaia is een blend van 85% Cabernet Sauvignon en 15% Cabernet Franc afkomstig van wijnstokken die gekweekt werden op een met stenen bezaaide ondergrond. Deze wijnstokken leveren vruchten op die vergelijkbaar zijn met de kleine opbrengst van de Bordeaux chateaux.
"Sassicaia is de zuivere Italiaanse Cabernet Sauvignon, hoewel hij doorgaans ook zowat 15% Cabernet Franc bevat. Deze wijn vormt het perfecte evenwicht tussen een hoog aangeschreven bordeaux en een gewaardeerde Napa Valley Cabernet, die de structuur van Frankrijks summum en de weelderigheid van het fijnste van de Californische bodem in zich verenigt."
James Suckling - Winespectator
De vinificatie gebeurt in roestvrij stalen vaten. Het proces wordt opgewekt door natuurlijke gisten. Daarna wordt de wijn overgebracht in barriques met een inhoud van 225 liter. Deze barriques zijn vervaardigd van (40% nieuw) Franse eik van Allier.
Na botteling blijft de wijn nog 6 maanden rusten alvorens te worden vrijgegeven. Een Sassicaia bereikt na ongeveer 8 tot 12 jaar zijn optimale drinkbaarheid.
sassicaia - proefnota's
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SASSICAIA 2005
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The climate in Spring was extremely consistent and as a result germination in the vineyards and of the individual plants also proved to be very consistent. Favourable weather conditions allowed for optimal flowering.
A perfect vegetation cycle, favoured a proper development of the grapes and bunches. Secondary sprouting was not precocious, permitting normal growth control. The summer was not too hot, in fact it was reasonably cool ensuring gentle ripening and therefore aromas and balanced constituents in the grapes, as well as good anthocyanic richness. The skins, were thick and healty allowing us not to rush during harvest and giving us great quality.
Sassicaia 2005 is an intense, concentrated and deep ruby red. The scent is complex, with a smell of red fruit and great elegance. The flavour is powerful, full-bodied, with sweet and balanced tannins. In the mouth the wine appears to be powerfull, full-bodied along with elegant and balance tannins.
Harmony and elegance have always been characterics we have constantly tried to carry out. Very long the persistency in the month with a polifenolic outfit that will assure the wine a great and long lasting life.
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SASSICAIA 2004
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After a very wet vintage in 2002 and an extremely hot vintage in 2003 the climate in 2004 was almost perfect. We had a good amount of rain in the spring which was essential for the wines not to be stressed by the heat.
The weather in the summer was very dry but the temperatures were never above average with a great excursion of temperature between night and day.
The Sassicaia 2004 is a very classic vintage with great balance and finesse. Although the wine is already fairly drinkable, Sassicaia is always a wine that needs bottle age to show its full potential and we are very positive that 2004 will age extremely well. The wine at the moment offer notes of sweet dark fruit with notes of spices, herbs, earthiness and smoke in a full bodied, opulent expression.
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SASSICAIA 2003
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Until mid May, rain and temperatures stayed in the seasonal average, allowing a good water retention of the ground during the summer months.
Summer was particularly hot, but being so close to the sea, temperatures never reached the high values of inland Tuscany. The climate was extremely dry and warm until the picking. The maturation of the grapes was ideal, especially for their aromatic and tasting components, combined with a good thickness of the skins, full with scents and tannins.
Harvesting begun in the first days of September, and lasted for about three weeks. The grapes was accurately selected before the time of maceration on the skins, which lasted for about 16-18 days.
This maceration allowed a complete diffusion of the poliphenols contained in the skins of the must. Following a very precocious malolactic fermentation, the wine begun at the beginning of November its ageing period of 24 month in french oak barriques, one third new.
The fining took place for 6 months in the bottles before release on the market, allowing the development of the bouquet.
The "terroir" of Bolgheri, and especially its proximity to the sea, the particular light, and the microclimate, are definetly favourable to Cabernet. Once again, these elements allowed the birth of a great wine, even in a vintage which was not so impressive for the rest of Tuscany.
It is a characteristic of Sassicaia to expect great results even in these less celebrated vintages. And this tendency was even more reinforced in the last decade. Sassicaia 2003 is of an intense, concentrated and deep ruby colour. Very complex and elegant on the nose, with scents of red fruits. Strong, concentrated, with sweet and balanced tannins on the palate. Very long finish with very important organoleptic and poliphenolic aspects, which will ensure to this wine an extraordinary longevity.
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SASSICAIA 2002
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Weather conditions for the 2002 vintage varied greatly; during the spring, the climate remained within seasonal norms, while during the months of June and July, precipitation was above the seasonal average. The weather remained sunny from the first days of September for the entire period of the harvest, thus favoring the grapes' complete ripening. Thanks to excellent winds and sunshine in the Bolgheri coastal zone, at the time of the harvest, the grapes were healthy, and in good quantity.
So the harvesting, that begun on the 9th of September, was generally satisfactory and took place almost without interruptions.
Vintage 2002 has not been generally a great year, especially for the total acidity and the times of maturation which was very much complete, but not always physiologically homogeneous.
The resulting wines have a total acidity with slightly high value in the malic acid, compared to last years wines. Fortunately the malolactic fermentation has solved this problem, beginning its activity punctually and completing it totally. Maceration of the grapes in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks did not exceed 15 days, whereas in previous years it sometimes went up to 18 or 19 days.
On the 18th of October the wine had great pH, determined especially by the act of decanting it twice, the first time in used oak barriques. This to have the wine well “cleaned” before beginning its true evolution cycle in new and second passage barriques.
We have in fact noted, especially in this 2002 vintage, that new oak would give a too strong impact to the organoleptic aspects of “palate and nose”, compared to second passage oak and therefore, the contact with new wood has been reduced to about one month.
Important “barrique wine” should never taste of barrique. This is maybe the reason why we prefer not to leave the wine in completely new oak, exactly to avoid that character of “oak factory”.
Other interesting data about 2002 vintage:
The total polyphenolic value is slightly lower than usual, but this does not show organoleptically on the palate.
The pH is constant around 3,68-3,70 and the dry extract value is satisfactory to the professional palate, being around 31 gr/litre.
The wine should be kept at an ideal temperature of about 14-16 °. This 2002 vintage has an average ageing potential for Sassicaia: although the structure is rich and resistant, this wine should not be left to age for extremely long time.
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SASSICAIA 2001
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The weather was particularly favorable, with very little rain during the summer. Temperatures, very similar to those registred in 2000, were above seasonal averages, and so favored a complete and early ripening of the grapes. The harvest was begun during the first week of September.
The grapes' precocious ripening brought many advantages, such as the total polyphenolic polymerization, the smoothing of tannins, the development of malic acid, and a rich sugar content.
The fermentaiton process during vinification was excellent and biologically routine. Maceration lasted for about 15-16 days. Malo-lactic fermentation occurred very rapidly. The wine began its aging process the first week of November. The wine remained in French wood barriques for 22 months, with one-third of these barriques being new, and it was bottled at the beginning of November 2003.
The Sassicaia 2001 vintage presents itself with an excellent color, soft in the mouth thanks to the polymerization of the polyphenols which began already while the grapes were still on the vine prior to harvest. A wine with a great personality, showing excellent polyphenol production along with a very soft and harmonious tannic conent. The tannins' sweetness produced a very elegant wine, supported by a remarkable body. This structure will ensure above average longevity for the wine, and obviously, the wine will have the advantage of being aged in the bottle for a period not less than 2-3 years, a characteristic that is common to all Sassicaia vintages.
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SASSICAIA 2000
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Seasonal progress was particularly favorable, with very scant rainfall from the beginning of July until the last week of September. Temperatures, partially affected by the proximity to the sea, remained within seasonal averages, favoring a consistent ripening process. The grape harvest began during the first ten days of September and went on for about three weeks.
The vinification and fermentation process was excellent within its biological parameters. Maceration lasted 15 - 16 days. Malo - lactic fermentation was completed very rapidly and therefore the wine already began its aging process during the first days of November. For 22 months, it remained in French wood barriques (1/3 of which were new). The wine was subsequently bottled in October 2002.
Sassicaia 2000 presents itself with an excellent color and very soft in the mouth, thanks to polymerization of polyphenols, which started while the grapes, were still on the vine prior to harvest. The sweetness of the tannins makes it a wine that is very elegant in style, supported by a remarkable structure. This structure will give it a higher than average longevity and in addition, the wine will indubitably benefit from a minimum of 2 - 3 years of aging in glass bottles, a characteristic of all Sassicaia vintages.
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SASSICAIA 1999
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The climate of the year 1999 was particularly favourable, even more than in the year 1998. An abundant rainfall in July enabled a good vegetative development, and the moderate temperature of the summer caused no stress to the vines.
Grapes were already quite ripe at the end of August when the harvest started, a week earlier than usual. This lasted three and a half weeks without interruption. The grape varieties used are Cabernet Sauvignon (85%) and Cabernet Franc (15%).
The wine has been aged 22 months in French oak, 1/3 new, and then bottled at the end of October 2001.
The result has been a wine with an important ratio of souplesse and finesse, with a very fine structure where the sweetness of tannins has been privileged with respect to over extraction. The wine seems already very approachable, although it will certainly improve with some bottle ageing, a common characteristic to all vintages of Sassicaia.
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SASSICAIA 1998
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The climatic cycle was particulary favorable in 1998 with extremely limited rainfall from May 15th until the last week of September and elevated temperatures already in July (31°C) which even lasted through the following month. In contrast to the prior year there was virtually no rainfall in August (as compared to 30mm in 1997).
The grapes were already very ripe at the beginning of September when the harvest started: this lasted for three weeks without interruption. The result has been a wine very fine of structure and richness of tannins, yet maintaining a notable finesse and sweetness of tannins, a characteristic common to all the vintages of Sassicaia.
The wine has been aged 23 months in French oak, 40% new, and then bottled before the end of October 2000. Finally, his longevity is expected to be superior to average of Sassicaia.
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SASSICAIA 1997
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An excellent harvest in all ways: the climactic trends during harvesting, the conditions of the grapes, their perfect ripeness and balanced quantities on the plants, which favoured interesting skin thickness and excellent sugar. Regular fermenting trends, with no microbiological problems due both to yeast and malolactic bacteria, which very quickly transformed the limited quantity of malic acid. Maceration of around 16 days, with a good yield of extract.
The malolactic (fermentation) finished a week after devatting. Once drawn off the wine had interesting polyphenolic characteristics: about 38g/litre.
A quick transfer into barriques on 25th October and pause in cask with the usual three-months repeated racking, where the wine remained until October. A supple wine, "highly stylish", with quite pronounced density of noble tannins, of an extraordinary roundness and fullness. It is an exceptionally fine wine which will become truly great over time.
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SASSICAIA 1996
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The climatic tendency in Italian vineyards in 1996 was not particulary favourable, except in certain Mediterrean areas.But just by chance Sassicaia belongs to these tiny, exeptional areas.
The grapes from the 1996 harvest were excellent in all aspects: healthy, almost sugar content, excellent polyphenol content thanks to the quality and quantity of its sweet tanins.
The harvest began on the 20th September and finished well after the beginning of October with truly excellent fermentation temperature range: between 28 and 31°C. The maceration took between 14 and 18 days according to the quality of grapes and the malolactics were already finished before the end of Octobrer, so that from the 30th October the first new racked-off wines were in barriques. The colouring of '96 was intense, thanks to an interesting anthocyanic content, supported by a rich tannic potential. During its first year of ageing, the wine was racked every three monhs as it was very rich in extractive substances. After about 22 months in the barrel it was bottled as usual, without filtering.
The Sassicaia 1996 has a full polyphenolic content well balanced, and you can feel the presence of sweet tannins, which makes the wine truly aristocratic. These tannins already matured.
The organic acid content is quite low which contributes strongly to its "souplesse". The wine has a good nose which will improve with constant and exuberant intensity when carefully kept in bottles for a few years. Sassicaia 1996 is also charcterised by its distinctive "finesse" on the palate and almost precocious polyphenol roundness.
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SASSICAIA 1995
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The ripening of the grapes in 1995 was good but, if there had not been the usual and human fear of a change of weather, we would have been able to wait yet a few more days to begin the harvest! Nonetheless, for not having wanted to attain an almost over-ripeness, the start of the harvest of 1995 was rather protracted: on the 18th of September, a hot, slightly windy day which was variable but far from threatening rain, we began with the harvest in the Aianova vineyard. The grapes we gathered were rich in color and showed a fairly good sugar content, with a relatively low total acidity:
Average sugar: between 20,8% and 21,3% - Total acidity: between 6,80 and 6,30 - Malic acid: all below 1,5 grams per liter
The progress of the fermentation temperature was quite regular and the polyphenolic extraction succeeded beautifully. It yielded wines of very good to superb color and, in some vats, absolutely excellent. The maceration in the individual vats lasted from 14 to 18 days, depending on the source of the fruit: for example, the wines from Aianova were macerated longer (18 days) than those from Castiglioncello (14 days). The malolactic fermentation was completed almost simultaneously with the alcoholic fermentation, or at most by 3 to 4 days after the start of vinification.
During the harvest the climate in the countryside was hot: between 23 and 26°C. But the fermentation, given the modest size of the vats and with the intervention of a water bath on their exterior, never registered temperatures higher than 30-31 °C. One could say that the average maximum temperature hovered around 29-30°C. The harvest was completed on October 10th, 1995, and the transfer to barriques of second and third use was begun immediately after All Saints Day on November 2nd. The first racking to separate the sediment and residue took place before Christmas. In 1996 the wine underwent three rackings and another three in 1997. Two thirds of the wine was aged in new French oak barriques and one third in barriques of second use (we put the wine into new barriques after its first rest of approximately two months during which it decanted in barriques of second and third use). Aging lasted for a total period of roughly 24 months and bottling took place during the second half of November, 1997. The wine is elegant and of good structure and color. Its chemical characteristics confirm the organoleptic sensations: Alcohol content: approximately 12,3% Total acidity: approximately 5,3%o Total polyphenols: approximately 2,300 grams (expressed in gallic acid) Dry extract: about 29 grams per liter pH: 3,6
A distinguishing characteristic of this vintage is the great sweetness of the tannins, which have been well polymerized, it is true, in the barriques, but were "born sweet" right on the wine. This was to be confirmed when the wine was still on the vine: a little with the intervention of a human hand (care in cultivation, beginning with the pruning) and a little with the consent of the weather cycle. In glass, Sassicaia '95 will be very expressive, particularly in its suppleness and exceptional bouquet.
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SASSICAIA 1994
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The seasonal cycle was characterized by a rather rainy spring with the exception of March, which offered days of blue skies and almost hot weather. But as April approached, the curtain reopened to cloudy, foggy, rainy days throught the greater part of May. It was also cool. But summer was dry, nearly arid, and August was extremely hot, almost torrid …
Fortunately the forest which surrounds the vineyards of Sassicaia impeccably carried out its role of moderator and gardian of the microclimate in terms of temperature as well as humidity. And then, the soil, still supplied with springtime’s abundant moisture, became the primary factor contributing to the exceptional development of the vine and its stable metabolism, which in turn bore excpetional fruit: bunches of "barrique grapes", which is to say bunches with thick-skinned berries rich in color and noble tannins. The must obtained at harvest, which began on the 8th of September at Aianova, resembled dark blood from the density of its polyphenols and anthocyanins.
The sugar levels were exactly in balance and, after the malolactic fermentation, the total acidity established itself at 5,5%°. It should be noted that the process of transformation of the malic acid, which is a rule for us, was carried out for the most part in barriques into which the wine had been placed immediately after the primary fermentation, precisely in the third decade of October. The evolution in wood was superb, and with each racking we were able to confirm organoleptic progress not only in terms of the stable physiological progress of the wine but also in terms of the optimum role French casks had played: 50% were new, and for the balance, most were second passage with an extremely modest fraction, which we desired, of third passage, in order not to allow a disproptionate influence of new oak on the wine itself. A great wine di barrique, we think, must never be too marked by the barrique.
The polyphenolic structure of the Sassicaia 1994 is quite appreciable we are at 2,45 gr/l of total of total polyphenols, expressed in gallic acid. The total acidity varies around 5.5 gr/l and the property in dry extract is a good 30 grams, approximately, per liter. The pH is optimum to confirm an elegant suppleness in the wine 3.45.All these values together describe a beautiful profile: that of a superb Sassicaia, a great Mediterranean wine, a bottle which will endure for many, many years without approaching senility.
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SASSICAIA 1993
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The quality of the vintage is not expressed solely on the basis of the richness of its extractive components or by how soon they become apparent. There are cases in which the wealth of the extractive composition does not quickly appear, but is evidend gradually, and its balance also becomes more appreciable with the refinement of the wine in the bottle. One thus speaks of the wine of discreet or elegant style.
The 1993 vintage Sassicaia belongs to this category: aristocratic, well balanced and advanced in its organoleptic properties with discretion, almost at their peak. There are, of course, noble tannins: their "souplesse" is bornin the grape, which has been steeped for a good 15 days and, as soon as drawn off, the mailc acid is totally transformed in little more than a week and a half. The wine remains in casks, 38% new, for a good twenty-one months and then, without any filtration, but only after very delicate egg treatment; the ’93 Sassicaia is bottled in order " to grow and improve" its bouquet, which has already assumed its wholly unique style on breeding in the cask, having been poured off a good five times during the actual ageing process.
In the wood the ’93 Sassicaia has passed, after just two and a half weeks of racking, all or almost all of what can be called its "biological finishing" processes, which have taken place in casks, maintained for several months with "bonde dessus" (bunghole on top) before being placed on the side for this specific reason.
Its alcoholic strength is just over 12% and the pH is 3,52, while the polyphenol content rises to 2.58 gr/l. Total acidity is over 5.35 gr/l, expressed in tartaric acid. The ’93 Sassicaia will be very long-lived and will still grow for many years.
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SASSICAIA 1992
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A real surprise, considering that the vintage was certainly not an exciting one for Tuscan reds. But Sassicaia has accustomed us to these performances. It has an intense and lively ruby color, with good concentration. The scent is very fresh and pure, with vanilla on well-expressed red fruit. On the palate, it is full, elegant and concentrated, with gentle and balanced tannins and a long aftertaste. The l992 vintage was a challenge for most Tuscan wineries. In many areas (Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Montepulciano, etc.), the weather during the last part of the harvest was so bad that many producers decided not to bottle their most prestigious wine. Around Bolgheri, the proximity of the sea, the particular luminosity and a very favorable microclimate for Cabernet worked a miracle. Sassicaia '92 is an elegant and very successful wine.
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SASSICAIA 1991
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1991 was not an exceptional year, but Bolgheri's terroir - that incredible complex of environmental and climatic factors - once again enabled a much above-average wine to be born. It has a slightly spicy scent, with notes of sweet wood and pepper, as well as a touch of herbaceousness. On the palate, it has medium concentration and a pleasant finish of red fruit. Good length. Even though it lacks the power and concentration of the '90, it confirms that Sassicaia is an excellent wine even in less felicitous years. A trend that has been greatly strengthened during the last ten years.
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SASSICAIA 1990
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A version that is certainly good, but not as successful as one might have expected in such a great vintage. Even if less lively then the '92, its color is an intense, concentrated ruby. The aromas are intense and concentrated, with vanilla, red fruit (morello cherries) and a hint of hay. On the palate, it is intense, persistent and concentrated, with a very pleasant finish of red fruits. Even though it is supple, the presence of slightly aggressive tannins is noticeable. It is still young, remarkably 'thick', but big rather than great. The 1990 vintage in Tuscany has been called one of the best of the last decade. It should be pointed out, however, without disputing this positive judgment, that the wines of this vintage seem to be evolving faster than others. Sassicaia '90 seems to be an exception.
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SASSICAIA 1989
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Another unexciting year with a difficult harvest, but Sassicaia clears the obstacle like a great thoroughbred horse. It is certainly a more modest wine than the '88 or the '90, but this characteristic only makes it more 'human' in the eyes of aficionados. Its main characteristics are immediacy and drinkability. Red fruits stand out on the nose, fragrant, intense, with a hint of spice. It is supple and pleasant on the palate, with a finish that brings back the fruits. It may not be really long-lived, but one wishes there were more wines as pleasant as this. It is not very concentrated, but it's as elegant and balanced as a wine can be. 87 Drink between 2000 and 2005
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SASSICAIA 1988
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This is the version preferred by Giacomo Tachis, who even considers it superior to the '85. The color is such a concentrated, deep ruby that you wouldn't think the wine is seven years old. The scent is complex and concentrated, with aromas of intense and elegant red fruits; the flavor is powerful and concentrated, displaying soft tannins. The aftertaste is delightful, with a retronasal finish that echoes the sensations picked up by the nose. This is one of the most elegant and complex Sassicaias of all. A great vintage for a great wine of international stature, one that is incredibly appealing. Tachis maintains that Sassicaia needs at least ten years to express its potential. It takes patience and foresight, but the wait is worth it.
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SASSICAIA 1987
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A lesser year. This Sassicaia has a lively ruby color of medium intensity. Aromas of spicy wood and red fruits (bitter cherries), quite intense even if the range is more limited. On the palate, the tannins - soft ones - are still pronounced, with just a touch of astringency. The acidity stands out a bit, there is good length and considerable, though not exceptional, structure. It was an average year, but the wine seems to pretty much ignore that fact. It has become considerably more harmonious than it was a few years ago, and what in the beginning seemed only pleasantness has turned into complexity on both the nose and the palate. The length, however, is not exceptional.
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SASSICAIA 1986
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Among recent versions, this is perhaps the one that has convinced us least. It's an excellent wine, but everyone found it disappointing after the exceptional '85. The color is a medium-intense ruby with garnet tinges. The scent is quite persistent, with hints of vanilla and red fruits, but it's a bit lacking in complexity. The flavor is balanced (though the tannin makes itself felt, it is not aggressive), but the length is unexceptional. The '86 vintage was rather uneven in Tuscany. In a few areas, and in particular Chianti Classico, it came close to meriting our highest rating, five stars. Around Montalcino and Montepulciano, rain during the last part of the harvest compromised the quality of some of the grapes. At Bolgheri, it was an average, fair-to-middling year.
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SASSICAIA 1985
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The greatest Sassicaia of all. It is an intensely dark and concentrated ruby with garnet tinges. On the nose, it is complex and exceptionally concentrated, ample and persistent, with hints of tar and spices. On the palate, it is very 'thick', with great structure, incredibly rich and concentrated, but at the same time harmonious, with hints of licorice and sweet wood. The aftertaste is extremely long. It's a very great wine, born in a year characterized by dry weather and high temperatures during the summer. Yields were very limited and considerably fewer bottles were produced (about 60,000 instead of 110-120,000). The wine is slowly developing, and its rich and complex tannins are beginning to smooth out.
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SASSICAIA 1984
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Another miraculous vintage for Sassicaia. In a year that was disastrous for the rest of Tuscany, it is characterized by a rare nobility. It has a ruby color of medium intensity, and the very ample nose presents intense and lingering scents of red fruit (ripe plums, blueberries). It is supple on the palate, with medium structure and length. The finish echoes the same delightful sensation of red fruit as the nose. This Sassicaia is the fruit of very careful selection during the harvest. The weather was actually the least propitious of the eighties, characterized by abundant rain that continued during the harvest period. The wine is exceptionally pleasant, as elegant and as easy to drink as a great Burgundy.
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SASSICAIA 1983
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Good, but less so than the particularly good year would have led one to predict. The color is an intense ruby with garnet tinges, and has medium concentration. The nose has just started to develop, with scents of mushrooms, tar and ripe red fruit. The flavor is full, the tannin still lively and slighty aggressive. The '83 is not one of our favorite versions, even though it would be inappropriate to call the wine disappointing. The weather was certainly good, and one might have expected a more complex wine, and especially more elegant tannins.
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SASSICAIA 1981
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An interesting version, the fruit of a lesser year. It has a garnet-magenta color with a definite brick-red rim. The nose is complex, with very particular and rather pleasant vegetal aromas (eucalyptus and tamarind). It has considerable, but not exceptional elegance. The flavor is perfectly balanced, with a rather full structure and good length. The tannins are less aggressive and bitterish in comparison with the '82. A lesser vintage and a less robust structure for this Sassicaia. There are vegetal aromas that must be due to the introduction of new barriques made of Slavonian oak, which ceded particularly aromatic essential oils.
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SASSICAIA 1980
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It is quite similar to the '79, though perhaps a bit rounder, while its structure brings the '74 to mind. The color is garnet, with orange tinges, while the scent is quite developed and displays medium complexity. The flavor is not perfectly balanced, even though in this respect it is certainly superior to the '79. Good length. The wine is developing rapidly and is not likely to further improve. More than 60,000 bottles were produced.
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SASSICAIA 1979
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One of the least convincing versions. The color is garnet, with orange tinges. On the nose, it has tertiary aromas of jam and fruit preserved in spirits, with good concentration and medium complexity. On the palate, it does not have a great structure and the acidity stands out a bit; the length is fair. It does not seem that the wine will further evolve in the bottle. It is a "small" wine from an average year. It confirms Sassicaia's ability to be an interesting wine even when the weather is not particularly favorable
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SASSICAIA 1978
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A truly great wine. It vies with the '85 for the laurels as the best Sassicaia of all time. The color is impressively concentrated and extremely vivid: an intense, brick-rimmed ruby. The nose is very complex: resinous scents, animal and vegetal aromas (nutmeg, tenuous eucalyptus, dried fruit) with a smoky nuance. On the palate, it is still powerfully tannic. The aftertaste lingers, with aromas of licorice, spices and a finish of red fruit. It is a powerful, concentrated, complex wine that is still young. A great Sassicaia from a great year, which will hold for an extraordinarily long time. We are close to perfection here.
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SASSICAIA 1977
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Another surprise, the fruit of a year that was truly disappointing elsewhere in Tuscany. It has a concentrated ruby-garnet color with a brick-red rim, which is still very vivid. The aromas are very elegant and complex, with touches of vanilla, red-fruit jam (sour cherries) and leather. It is full-flavored, balanced and extremely pleasing to the palate. The tannins are gentle and fine, the persistence is excellent and the concentration is good. A Sassicaia "barely" 18 years old, delightful and elegant, mature, but capable of showing well for many more years. There seems to be no limit to its longevity.
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SASSICAIA 1976
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If anything, the year was even worse than '72. The very rainy summer had serious negative consequences on the grapes even though they reached physiological ripeness. The vatting time, however, was brief, because the tannin to be extracted was scarce in both quantity and quality. In any case, it was sufficient to withstand 18 months in barrique. A Sassicaia with considerable character, but not very harmonious. In particular, the flavor reveals a rather obvious imbalance between the acidity and the tannin. Hail Sassicaia: in spite of everything, it comes through pretty well even this time
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SASSICAIA 1975
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An excellent version of Sassicaia, which in some ways is like the '82, only better. By now the color is definitely garnet, with brick-red tinges; it has good concentration. The bouquet is mature, with aromas of tar, mushrooms and dried fruit, which all indicate the completely tertiary nature of the scent. The flavor is still rich and has excellent length; the tannins are noticeable, but not bitterish. '75 was a very good year all over Tuscany, and Sassicaia is no exception to the rule, which is that the region's great red wines are particularly felicitous. We might mention, for example, that it was a historic year for Tignanello, which had skipped the three previous ones.
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SASSICAIA 1974
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The year was a difficult one because of excessive rainfall and inconsistent temperatures. In spite of this, Sassicaia once again cuts a respectable figure. The nose is still ample, with vegetal notes, and the flavor is pleasant, even though the acidity stands out a bit. Medium structure, partly because the extraction of tannin was not particularly abundant. All in all, a pleasant medium-full wine.
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SASSICAIA 1972
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It was one of the worst vintages in fifty years. Sassicaia, however, was miraculously excellent. It has a garnet color with good concentration and brick-red tinges. The aromas reveal its respectable age, but do not show any obvious symptoms of oxidation. They are complex, tertiary ones, still surprisingly intense, with notes of dried fruit, mushrooms, and tar, and no sign of maderization. The flavor is harmonious, with extremely elegant velvety sensations due to the complete integration of the tannins. Sassicaia's first real miracle: magical quality in a year so poor that it's frequently brought up as an example. The first barriques made of French oak enter the cellar.
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SASSICAIA 1971
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Characterized by a summer with scant rainfall and balanced average temperatures, the weather was favorable to Cabernet grapes. The wine was made in 2000 liter (approximately 520 gallons) open vats made of Slavonian oak and the maceration lasted seven days, with frequent pushing down to get the most out of grapes rich in extract. It is a rich, scented, very mature wine. It is balanced on the palate because of the highly polymerized tannin, and the length is good. Sassicaia is acquiring a more and more definite personality, as well as an ever larger following.
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SASSICAIA 1970
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It is the first Sassicaia made in large quantities - 69,000 bottles were produced - but problems in the winery will keep this quantitative performance from being repeated for ten years. The weather was quite good, with the right amount of heat and sufficient moisture insuring excellent grapes. The wine was made in 2000 liter (520 gallons) open oak vats and was aged for 16 months in Slavonian oak barrels from Conegliano Veneto. The nose is still intense and the tannin is in balance with the structure. Nicely supple. It's a still velvety wine, with definite character and good structure.
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SASSICAIA 1968
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The year on the label is approximate. It's actually a blend of '67, '68 - which constitutes most of the wine - '69 and a little '65. It's now almost impossible to find a bottle and the last remaining ones are appraised at close to 3 million lire (approximately $1800). The color is definite brick-red with moderate concentration. The nose is extremely mature, with signs of oxidation and scents of walnuts preserved in spirits and tar. The taste reveals symptoms that the wine has entered the phase of decline, even though tannin is still present and the oxidized components are not completely prevalent. A collector's item - there were originally about 3000 bottles - that is in decline. If you happen to have a bottle, hold on to it as a souvenir: it will become precious.
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