Sassicaia wines: 5 things you need to know as a wine drinker
Sassicaia is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious Italian wines around the globe. This flagship wine dates back to 1930 when the owners produced this special wine for their family and friends. The wine was well-liked and since then, the Sassicaia wine has grown tremendously, breaking into the commercial market and is now being produced by the winemaker Tenuta San Guido. Today, this exclusive wine pays the amount of the most sought-after wines in the entire globe and the Sassicaia 2015 is at the top . Below is a highlight of some important pointers you need to know about the Sassicaia wine as a wine drinker.
- A little history of the Sassicaia
Around the 1930s, Mario Incisa Della Rocchett who is the owner of Sassicaia got married to Marchesa Clarice Della Gherardesca and they received the Tenuta San Guido as part of their bride’s dowry. The couple used this enormous vineyard running uptown 7500 acres to produce wines and through the various experiments, Sassicaia wine was born. The wine is a perfect blend of mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and small amounts of Cabernet Franc.
- Why the name Sassicaia?
The name Sassicaia was inspired by ‘Sassi’ which means the stones field found in large quantities on the terrain where the wine vineyards lie. This terrain gives the wine its refined texture and elegant taste.
- One of the original super Tuscans
Sassicaia can easily be argued that it’s the original super Tuscans. Super Tuscan wines refer to a style of red wine that first originated from Tuscany back in the 1970s. These wines were made by ordinary winemaking families and were known to be exceptionally high quality. The super Tuscan wines went where no wines dared to go as the winemakers believed that a great winemaking skill is to produce an exemplary wine in the most difficult of circumstances.
- Don’t comply with traditional standard
Sassicaia played a vital role in revamping the rules and how the DOC – Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita operates. Back in the day, the DOC refused to provide classification to new generations of wines. This organisation opposed the trends that did not comply with the traditional ways of making wine and they felt that they couldn’t carry their label. In 1992, the enormous pressure from the industry forced the DOC to come up with an IGT label – Indicazione Geografica Tipica that only looks at the region where the wine originates from rather than the quality of grapes. The Sassicaia, therefore, is classified as one of the table wines which is a bit unfair given the indication of sheer quality that this wine brings.
- Characteristics of the wine
The grapes from which the Sassicaia are made are harvested right before they reach complete ripeness. This gives the wine a full-bodied taste with an aromatic and elegant texture. The tannins in the wine ensure a long-lasting finish to the wine that creates an impeccable balance making this wine suitable for all occasions. The Sassicaia great quality has led to a huge demand hence accounting for the high price tag.
