Tenuta San Guido — Sassicaia, the First Great Super Tuscan

Tenuta San Guido is one of Italy’s most emblematic estates and the birthplace of Sassicaia, the founding wine of the Super Tuscan movement. Located in Bolgheri, on Tuscany’s Tyrrhenian coast, the estate revolutionised Italian wine history by proving that great Bordeaux varieties could produce a world-class wine on these stony, luminous soils.

The story began in the 1940s with Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in Bolgheri, at a time when Tuscany was still largely associated with Sangiovese. Long reserved for family and friends, Sassicaia was first released commercially in 1971 with the 1968 vintage, rapidly becoming one of the most admired red wines in the world.

Terroir: Bolgheri, stones and the sea

Tenuta San Guido forms part of a vast historic estate of several thousand hectares, within which the vineyards dedicated to Sassicaia occupy the finest areas of Bolgheri. The parcels lie on gravelly, stony and calcareous soils with excellent drainage — the very origin of the wine’s name: Sassicaia, from sasso, meaning stone.

The vines benefit from a remarkable microclimate: sea breezes from the Tyrrhenian coast, intense Mediterranean light, thermal variation and varying altitudes depending on the parcels. This combination allows Cabernet to ripen slowly and evenly while preserving freshness, tension and aromatic elegance.

Viticulture, selection and sustainability

The vineyards of Tenuta San Guido are managed with great attention to natural soil balance, biodiversity and sustainability. Harvesting is carried out at precise maturity, with rigorous grape selection to retain only the lots capable of entering the Sassicaia blend.

Yields are carefully controlled, parcels are monitored individually, and each lot is assessed for structure, freshness and tannin finesse. This rigour explains the consistency of the style: a wine that is dense but never heavy, powerful yet always taut, Mediterranean in soul and classical in architecture.

Vinification and ageing

Grapes are vinified separately by parcel in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. Macerations are conducted with precision to extract colour, structure and depth without hardening the tannins. The classic Sassicaia blend is generally based on a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by Cabernet Franc.

Wine style

Sassicaia is celebrated for its masterful balance: power without excess, complexity without heaviness, depth without demonstrative opulence. The wine combines the noble structure of great Cabernet with the light and saline softness of Bolgheri.

Great vintages are distinguished by their remarkable ability to age, often for several decades. Over time, Sassicaia develops nuances of cedar, tobacco, graphite, leather, Mediterranean herbs, truffle and candied black fruits, while retaining astonishing freshness and precision.

Emblematic cuvées

A unique appellation in Italy

Sassicaia holds an absolutely singular status. In 1994, its terroir was recognised as a sub-zone of the Bolgheri DOC; in 2013, DOC Bolgheri Sassicaia became an autonomous denomination in its own right, reserved for one wine, produced by one estate, within a strictly defined area.

This recognition confirms the historic role of Tenuta San Guido in the transformation of Bolgheri and the rise of the Super Tuscans. Sassicaia remains today a model of balance between innovation, family heritage, coastal terroir and international classicism.