About Tenuta San Guida

Mario Incisa della Rocchetta was born in Rome in 1889, from a Piedmontese family. While studying agriculture in Pisa, he immediately developed a strong inclination for agronomy, dreaming already in the 1920s of finding perfection in agriculture and respect for the earth. He moved to Maremma in the early 1940’s, after marrying Clarice della Gheradesca in 1930, a descendent of one of the oldest families in Tuscany, the family of Count Ugolino, mentioned by Dante in The Divine Comedy. The Marchese immediately realised that this was going to be one of the most extraordinary biotypes in Mediterranean Europe and began experimenting with some French grape varieties. He concluded that cabernet “has the bouquet I have been searching for”, despite being so distant from the Tuscan and Piedmontese traditions of Sangiovese and Nebbiolo respectively. Thus, thanks to the first grafts received from the Dukes Salviati of Migliarino (close to Pisa) in the early 1940’s and he planted the first Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in the hills that gently slopes down from the fortress of Castiglioncello to the sea. In fact, we know that in addition to Cabernet (Sauvignon and Franc), the grape variety used in the first planting was diverse and ranged from Canaiolo to Ciliegiolo to white grapes. The mass selection, orientated towards the exclusive use of Cabernet Sauvignon, happened more recently, between the years of 1960 and 1968.

Tenuta San Guida Sassicaia 2019 Tasting Notes:

The 2019 Sassicaia is restrained and also a bit reticent in it first impression. Rose petal, dried herbs, blood orange, mint, sweet pipe tobacco and cinnamon give the 2019 striking aromatic presence. The 2019 is a mid-weight, very classic feeling Sassicaia that is going to need a number of years to open. There’s good fruit depth, but the tannins are not as polished as they usually are. That could be a result of lingering stress from frost that year or recent bottling. The 2019 saw 18-20 days on the skins with natural ferments. Malos followed in tank. Aging was 25 months in barrel (1/3rd new), a longer elevage than normal. The 2019 shows beautifully with a few hours of aeration, so I am optimistic for the future. Let’s see what happens. Drink: 2027 – 2049
Vinous: Antonio Galloni – 94+ Points (February 2022)

Supple and beautifully defined, with black cherry, black currant and blackberry fruit augmented by tobacco, iron and thyme. Firmly structured, tightening up as this lingers with an aftertaste of dark fruit, graphite and spice. Shows a sense of elegance as well as power and intensity. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Drink: 2024 – 2045
Wine Spectator: Bruce Sanderson – 98 Points

The latest release from Tenuta San Guido is the 2019 Bolgheri Sassicaia. The bouquet is up front and very expressive from the get-go. It offers a generous display of crunchy, dark cherry that hints at the extra concentration and fruit weight obtained in the 2019 growing season. This vintage will be remembered for the crisp richness of the fruit and its important textural imprint. It also shows fine elegance, bordering on the ethereal, with berry aromas, tarry earth and brushes of balsam herb or grilled rosemary. Sassicaia always shows an almost-glossy finely knit quality to the polished mouthfeel, and I find it again here next to fresh acidity and firm tannins. Mouthfeel in 2019 is the wine's strongest suit. The 2019 is one of the prettiest and most balanced editions of Sassicaia we've seen this past decade, along with the back-to-back duo of 2016 and 2015. The 2019 marries the precision of the 2016 with the rich fruit weight of the 2015. Drink: 2025 - 2055
The Wine Advocate: Monica Larner – 98 Points

The purity of cabernet sauvignon fruit is exceptional here, with character and sensibility that’s reminiscent of some of the great Sassicaias from the 1980s, such as 1982 or 1988. But this is much more precise and clean. Aromas and flavors of currants and berries with cedar and earth. Sage and minty character, too. It’s full-bodied yet there’s so much polish and balance, together with structure, elegance, and refinement. Hard not to drink at this stage, yet give it time and respect. This will be a classic Sass and reminds me why I love this wine. Try after 2026.
Jamescukling.com: James Suckling – 99 Points