Only wine from a single wine estate in Italy to have its own DOC.
Expert tasting note: (2021 vintage) "Deep, dark ruby-red color but not opaque. The restrained, brooding nose has meaty touches, then reveals juicy raspberry & boysenberry aromas. The palate has dense, yet elegant, fine tannin. Fine cedary oak & vanilla are well-integrated with lively red-fruit. The wine has excellent acidity & rich red-fruit that balances the alcohol. There are raisin, sweet-licorice & chocolate notes on the back-palate. The finish has dusty tannins & a saline hint." - 04/24 (ep) DCAMW
- Drinking Window: 2026 - 2060
- Alcohol ABV: 13.5%
- Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon & 15% Cabernet Franc
Vintage Notes
Although not as rich in snow as the previous year, the climate in 2010 took us back in time: a long and cold winter, and a wet and cool spring. The bud burst was therefore regular, but certainly not precocious. During the winter we had temperatures below the seasonal average until the end of March and this allowed for the blocking of the vegetative phases of the vines. In mid-March we had significant snowfall and also the Spring was colder than usual, with temperatures below the seasonal average and heavy rains until May. This trend led to a delay in flowering and veraison and consequently, to a slower vegetative growth. Subsequently the temperatures aligned themselves to the seasonal average. This coupled with large temperature excursions between night and day, encouraged the development of perfumes.
Harvest Date Notes: Early September - first days of October
Winemaking
The primary fermentation took place in temperature controlled stainless steel vats at a temperature of 30° - 31° C. The maceration of the skins lasted 15 days for both the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Cabernet Franc, with a combination of pumping over and délestage. The malolactic or secondary fermentation also took place in the steel vats.
Ageing
Following the malolactic fermentation, the wine was aged in French oak barriques for 24 months and a few more months in the bottle before being released on the market.
Established in 1948 by Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, Tenuta San Guido is a super-premium Italian wine producer with 75 hectares of vineyards in the Bolgheri DOC in Tuscany. Best known for producing "Super Tuscan" wines, its flagship wine Sassicaia is considered one of Italy's leading Bordeaux-style reds. Prior to 1994, Sassicaia was classified as a simple Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) as it was made from non-traditional varieties for the region and thus was excluded from DOC status. To rectify the situation, Sassicaia was granted its own DOC (Sassicaia DOC) in 1994, the only wine from a single estate in Italy to enjoy this privilege. Alongside Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido also produces a second wine; a Cabernet Merlot Sangiovese blend called Guidalberto.
