Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC

🇮🇹 Italy

DOC Rare find

DOC 2013 - Italy's ONLY single-estate DOC, Tenuta San Guido, the wine that beat Bordeaux 1978, Marchese Incisa della Rocchetta's vision

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Region profile

History

Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta planted Cabernet Sauvignon cuttings 1942-1944 at Tenuta San Guido estate, allegedly from Château Lafite. Early vintages consumed privately, considered "vino da tavola" under Italian law. 1968: first commercial release, convinced by nephew Piero Antinori. 1971: public unveiling. 1978: Decanter magazine organized blind tasting - 1972 Sassicaia beat 33 wines including Château Margaux, stunning wine world. "Super Tuscan" term coined for wines breaking DOC rules. Bolgheri DOC created 1994 partly to legitimize Sassicaia. 2013: unprecedented single-estate DOC created exclusively for Sassicaia - unique in Italian wine law.

Climate
Mediterranean coastal; Tyrrhenian Sea 3km west; Tenuta San Guido estate Bolgheri; clay-limestone soils; sea breezes moderate heat; mild winters; long growing season; 14°C average annual; 600mm precipitation; specific estate microclimate within broader Bolgheri zone
Signature wines
Sassicaia (Tenuta San Guido - Italy's most legendary wine); deep ruby-purple; intensely aromatic (black currant, cassis, cedar, tobacco, graphite, Mediterranean herbs, eucalyptus); powerful structured tannins; exceptional aging (15-30+ years); 13.5%+ alcohol; pairs with Chianina beef, game; collector wines; benchmarks: 1985, 1988, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2016 legendary vintages
What sets it apart
Italy's ONLY single-estate DOC (2013); Tenuta San Guido sole producer; 1972 vintage beat Bordeaux (1978 Decanter tasting); Marchese Incisa della Rocchetta vision (1942 plantings); spawned Super Tuscan revolution; Cabernet Sauvignon 80%+ (no Merlot); James Suckling 100-point scores; $200-400+ retail; wine that changed Italian fine wine forever; created legal category that exists nowhere else

Facts

  • DOC 2013 (Italy's FIRST and ONLY single-estate DOC)
  • Tenuta San Guido sole producer
  • Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta planted Cabernet Sauvignon 1942-1944 (cuttings allegedly from Château Lafite)
  • 1968 first commercial vintage
  • 1972 vintage won 1978 Decanter blind tasting against 33 wines from 11 countries including Château Margaux
  • ~180,000 bottles annually
  • James Suckling perfect 100-point scores
  • consistently $200-400+ retail
  • second wine: Guidalberto (since 2000)

Region profile from the Wine Memories wine-data corpus · verified January 2026