Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri Italy 2019

Tenuta San Guido is an Italian wine producer named after Saint Guido della Gherardesca who lived during the XI century on the Tyrrhenian coast, off the western coast of Italy. Founded by Nobleman Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, and through his love for fine French wines, he planted Cabernet vines in this Italian wine-growing region in 1942 for what was to become Sassicaia. A wine made with 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, a fundamental change to the Tuscan and Piedmont tradition of Sangiovese and Nebbiolo, respectively. The innovative decision to plant this variety on the Tenuta San Guido property was partly due to the similar soils Mario had noticed in both Tuscan terrains and that of Graves in Bordeaux. ‘Graves’, meaning 'gravel’ in French, refers to the rocky terrain which distinguishes the Bordeaux area; similarly, the gravelly vineyard sites in Tuscany impart the same characteristics on Sassicaia, "stony ground," as its cherished French brother. Not surprisingly, Mario's first vintages were not warmly received. Critics accustomed to the light, local wines were skeptical of this venture and refused to consider that wines made from the more complex Cabernet Sauvignon grape would need more time to mature and develop. As a result, from 1948 to 1967, Sassicaia remained a strictly private affair, only to be consumed at Tenuta San Guido. Each year, a few cases were stored to age in the Castiglioncello di Bolgheri cellar. The Marchese soon realized that by aging the wine, it improved considerably. Friends and relatives now urged Mario Incisa to experiment further with his project and perfect his revolutionary winemaking style. It was not until 1968 that Sassicaia was first commercially released, worthy of the same recognition that Premier Cru Bordeaux's received.