LE DIFESE - SASSICAIA - Tenuta San Guido 2016 Difese, known as Sassicaia's third wine, comes from a plot adjoining the property - which explains its notable price difference.
It would have been created for the wedding of Priscilla Incisa Della Rocchetta, the granddaughter of the founder of the estate. Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese make up this red wine with a slightly spicier nose and sharper acidity on the palate. One of the property's most affordable wines, it is an excellent choice for discovering the qualities of an estate that has marked history.
70% Cabernet sauvignon, 30% Sangiovese
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In 1944, the Marquis Mario Incisa della Rochetta came into possession of a few grafts of cabernet sauvignon, a grape variety he loves. In the hope of producing Bordeaux-type wines, he plants the vines in Castiglioncello, on a plot quite far from the coast, with a rather hot climate. The local wines then produced in the region come from vineyards closer to the sea and are irregular, rustic and hard. After a few years of aging, the wines of the marquis, on the other hand, are superbly balanced and tasty. At the beginning of the 1960s, he decided to develop a second vineyard.
He calls this second vineyard Sassicaia and he settles it in the village of Bolgheri, where Count Guido Alberto already cultivated vines in the 19th century. Even though the wine from this vineyard is absolutely delicious, the Marquis reserves the production for his family and close friends. Finally, despite everything, he decides to market it, especially under the influence of his brother-in-law Nicolò Antinori, descendant of an old family of winegrowers. The Antinori house is responsible for marketing the Sassicaia and at the same time appoints its oenologist Giacomo Tachis (who is still only an unknown) as head of the Sassicaia production team. In 1972, the Sassicaia was presented to the general public for the first time with its 1968 vintage for which the famous star logo was created. As it was produced in a region that did not yet have an appellation, Sassicaia was sold as a simple table wine (vino da tavola). In the years that followed, Sassicaia was discovered and appreciated by the whole world and it collected a sea of distinctions in comparative tastings (ao with the best Bordeaux wines). A legend is born.
The Guidalberto is the other wine from Tenuta San Guido. Its first vintage is a 2000. The grapes used for the production of this wine come partly from the estate's vineyards and partly from vineyards leased to members of the family of the Marquis Incisa della Rochetta. All are located in Bolgheri, within the limits of DOC Sassicaia. The blend is made up of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. All these elements (vineyards and grape varieties) are different from those of Sassicaia, so this is not a second wine from Sassicaia. The use of American oak is also new and gives it a very different character. And yet, the elegance and finesse, so typical of Tenuta San Guido, are present. Guidalberto della Gherardesca, one of the ancestors of the Marquis Incisa della Rochetta, lived at the beginning of the 19th century. He distinguished himself as a pioneer in the field of agriculture and viticulture. This wine is a tribute to this extraordinary man.
Since 2003, the range has been enriched with a new wine, 'Le Difese'. It is in fact a second wine from Guidalberto. Made from Cabernet Sauvignon with 30% Sangiovese added, it is aged for 12 months in French and American barrels.
