The Super Tuscans

Super Tuscans were an unofficial category of Tuscan wines, not recognized within the Italian wine classification system. Although an extraordinary number of wines claim to be the first ‘Super Tuscan’, most would agree that this credit belongs to Sassicaia, the brainchild of Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who planted Cabernet Sauvignon at his Tenuta San Guido estate in Bolgheri back in 1944. For many years it was only consumed on the estate, until 1971 (with the 1968 vintage) it was released commercially. The growth of Super Tuscans is rooted in the restrictive DOC practices of the Chianti zone prior to the 1990s. During this time Chianti could only be made from predominantly Sangiovese. Producers who deviated from these regulations could not use the Chianti name on their wine labels and could only be classified as vino da tavola. By the 1970s, the consumer market for Chianti wines was suffering and the wines were widely perceived to be lacking quality. Many Tuscan wine producers thought they could produce a better-quality wine if they were not hindered by the DOC regulations.

Inspired by Sassicaia, Piero Antinori was one of the first to create a “Chianti-style” wine that ignored the DOC regulations. In 1978, Antinori released a 1971 vintage blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon known as Tignanello. Other producers soon followed as prices for these Super Tuscans were consistently beating the prices of some of most well-known Chianti. Rather than rely on name recognition of the Chianti region, the Super Tuscan producers sought to create a wine brand that would be recognisable on its own merits by consumers. By the late 1980s, the trend of creating high-quality non-DOC wines had spread to other regions of Tuscany, as well as Piemonte and Veneto. Changes to the Chianti DOC regulation attempted to solve the issues of Super Tuscans, so they could qualify as standard DOC/G Chianti. Since the creation of the less restrictive IGT Toscana designation in 1992 and the DOC Bolgheri designation in 1994 many Super Tuscans can now produce their wines within the guidelines of Italian wine laws. Remarkably, the pioneer Sassicaia was awarded its own exclusive Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC. The Tuscan pioneers had changed Italian wine, forever.

Many Super Tuscans are based on a Bordeaux-blend from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. While these grapes are not originally from the region, the climate in Tuscany has proven to be very suitable, especially nearer to the coast with its maritime influence.