Tenuta San Guido

Tenuta San Guido is one of Italy’s most prestigious wine estates, located in Bolgheri, Tuscany, along the country’s western coast. It is renowned for producing Sassicaia, one of the original Super Tuscans, a category of high-quality wines that emerged in the 1970s, challenging Italy’s traditional wine classification by using non-native grape varieties and modern winemaking techniques. Sassicaia, the estate’s flagship wine, first produced commercially in 1968, is a Bordeaux-style blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon with a smaller proportion of Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak, it is known for its elegance, structure, and longevity. Tenuta San Guido’s modern success can be traced back to Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in the 1940s with the goal of creating a wine reminiscent of Bordeaux. Over time, Sassicaia gained a reputation for exceptional quality, becoming one of Italy’s iconic wines. The estate’s unique terroir, characterized by stony, well-drained soils and a coastal climate that moderates temperatures, provides ideal growing conditions for Bordeaux varietals, resulting in refined and balanced wines. Sassicaia gained international acclaim in 1978 when it won a blind tasting organized by Decanter Magazine, surpassing several top Bordeaux wines and establishing Bolgheri and the Super Tuscan movement on the global stage. In addition to Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido produces other notable wines, including Guidalberto (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) and Le Difese (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese). Tenuta San Guido has played a pivotal role in reshaping the international perception of Italian wines, proving that Italy could produce world-class wines beyond the constraints of the traditional DOC and DOCG systems.