bolgheri sassicaia

Bolgheri Sassicaia Tenuta San Guido, is an absolute excellence, the only wine in Italy to have earned a specific Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC. This wine with its enveloping, intense and exciting character is a true oenological legend. It is the best known in the world as it perfectly embodies balance in terms of body and complexity. It is produced on the Tenuta San Guido, which, with its unique soil, limestone formations and high stony content from which Sassicaia takes its name, has created the perfect conditions for this treasure of oenology to germinate. The name of the estate where Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri Sassica is produced comes from San Guido della Gherardesca, who lived in the 13th century. It is a historic winery in the Bolgheri area, located along the Etruscan coast in the Tuscan Maremma. The idea of planting vines in this area originated with Mario Incisa della Ricchetta who, fascinated by Bordeaux, in 1920 dreamed of creating his own thoroughbred wine like the horses he then owned in his stables. He decided to plant Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes on the Estate, because of the similarities he had noticed between these soils and the Bordeaux area.

Vinification
The harvest, carried out strictly by hand, begins in the first week of September with the Cabernet Franc grapes, followed by the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, and is completed in early October with the grapes from the Castiglioncello vineyards, located at an altitude of over 300 metres above sea level. The grapes that arrive intact and healthy at the winery are sorted using a sorting table. Soft, gentle pressing and destemming of the grapes, taking care not to break the skin of the berries. Subsequent tumultuous fermentation in stainless steel at a controlled temperature of around 28-30 °C (without any addition of external yeasts). Maceration lasted approximately 13-15 days for both Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Repassing and frequent délestages favoured aromatic over tannic extraction. Malolactic fermentation in steel completed at the end of November.

Refinement
At the end of malolactic fermentation, the wine was placed in French oak barriques, (one third new wood and the rest, first and second passage) where it spent a period of 24 months maturing in compliance with the production specifications, always keeping the masses separated by vineyard origin. Blending of the masses shortly before bottling and subsequent ageing in glass before release.

Awards and Recognition
Year 2012 - Robert Parker - 92 Punti
Year 2012 - James Suckling - 98 Punti
Year 2012 - Wine Spectator - 93 Punti
Year 2012 - Wine Enthusiast - 99 Punti
Year 2012 - Guida Vitae AIS - 4 Grappoli