Sassicaia’s 2nd Wine for Only $39.99!

Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta is one of the founders of the so called ‘Super Tuscan’ wine, and his wine Sassicaia has become one of the most sought-after wines in the world. Located just south of Livorno in Tuscany sits the Tenuta San Gudio estate, and this is where Mario had the vision to plant Cabernet and Merlot vines. He thought the ‘rocky’ terrain mimicked the soil of Graves in Bordeaux and set out to produce a world class wine from these varietals.

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The Marchese’s first couple vintages weren’t exactly considered hits to the critics, who were accustomed to drinking the lighter style wines indigenous to the area.

From 1948 to 1967, Sassicaia was only produced to be enjoyed by family members and then in 1968, son Nico and nephew Piero Antinori convinced him to release it commercially. This time around, Sassicaia was hit a hit with famed Italian critic Luigi Veronelli, who dubbed it “fairy-tale wine”. After that, Mario brought in enologist Giacomo Tachis to further develop the wine while increasing production.

In 2000, they introduced a 2nd wine to the line up called “Guidalberto” which is comprised of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot. Mario’s son, Nicolo, explains on their website that it was created for two reasons: “first of all, the desire to see what we could accomplish with Merlot, a grape that we had never used before; second, the desire to offer the consumer a wine which could be appreciated at a younger age compared to our veteran Sassicaia”.

We just checked a nice drop of the 93 point 2013 vintage into stock that Monica Larner from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate called “one of the best editions of this wine ever made”

Being an avid collector and drinker of this wine, I was excited to taste the newest vintage, and it didn’t disappoint! I popped it over the Easter holiday to serve with a braised leg of Lamb. As soon as I poured some in the glass, you could tell this was serious juice. About 20% of declassified Sassicaia does it make it into the “Guidalberto” so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. On the nose you could smell stewed black fruits, spice box, tobacco and hints of leather. It was full-bodied but extremely well balanced. You can taste the pedigree. Drink now or hold for a few years, and it’ll age for 15 + years. Great vintage, excellent producer = must buy.  

If you’re a fan of Super Tuscans, Bordeaux, Cabs or just delicious wine at a reasonable price, then I urge you to scoop up a case to follow for the next 15+ years.