Wine legends: Supertoscaner – from pioneer to classic

class=”sc-29f61514-0 jbwksb”>

These are the things that many wine lovers dream of: the so-called Super Tuscans. Unofficially, this is the name given to excellent Tuscan red wines made with international grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah. The term is also more rarely used for particularly high quality pure Sangiovese and white wines from Tuscany.

More than 50 years after their creation, they have lost none of their splendor and admiration. How did this success story come about?

Zero Hour

Marchese Mario Incisa della Rochetta had a soft spot for Bordeaux wines. The Piedmont nobleman dreamed of producing this style of Italian wine for his family in Tuscany. As a man of action, he experimented with planting Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vines at Tenuta San Guido near Bolgheri in the early 1940s. Little did he know that he would turn the Italian wine scene upside down and create one of Italy’s most famous wines.

He moved away from the traditional traditions of Tuscany in the wine cellar. The cultivation of non-native grape varieties also greatly reduced the yield in the vineyard. He also used a modern press that gently processes the grapes. And instead of using large wooden barrels for aging, he allowed the wine to mature in new, small oak barrels (barriques). It was a groundbreaking approach at the time that is the standard for fine winemaking today.

The first wines were intended solely as house wine. But Marchese Nicolò Antinori, the cousin of Marchese Incisa della Rochetta, head of the Antinori wine empire, persuaded him to refine the wine by the cellar master Giacomo Tachis. Later, Tachis, one of the most famous oenologists of his time, cut the Sassicaia, an empty wine apple.

A cult arises

In 1972, the first crop of Sassicaia went on sale. But things started only two years later, when the famous Italian wine critic Veronelli praised the fall in the highest tones. Success crossed national borders. Bottles still adorned with a golden compass rose at international tastings have far outstripped French Cabernets. Italian wine took its place on the world stage for the first time.

At about the same time, Marchese Nicolò Antinori reinvented the Chianti Classico by refining its Sangiovese in barnacles and combining it with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet franc instead of the prescribed white grapes. International grape varieties were not planned. The weak-chested, weak Chianti turned into a mighty red giant. The first, Tignanello, was not allowed to be called Chianti due to irregularities in production, only Vino da Tavola (table wine).

However, the audacious reinterpretation caused quite a stir. Critics saw it as a betrayal of the Chianti tradition and an imitation of New World wines. But that didn’t stop the resounding success. Bordeaux blends, such as the Sangiovese and Sassicaia with both an international flair, were very popular all over the world. They met the taste of their time and attracted many imitators. However, it would take some time for Supertoscans to be recognized by Italian wine law. They were not awarded the quality level Indicazione Geografica Tipica (regional wines) until 1994.

Fresh treat for Tuscany’s wine region

In the stream of Super Tuscany, wine growers in Tuscany began to pay more attention to native grape varieties, especially Sangiovese, in the 1980s. This was also urgently needed because the region was suffering from a major image problem due to cheap mass-produced wine as well as internationally influenced plants. The Chianti in particular was struggling. Fiasco bottles with raffia decorations and fluffy contents were a complete failure. A strict focus on the quality of grapes, improved cellar techniques and stricter regulations eventually led to a new golden age in Tuscan viticulture.

Source : Blick