Following todays release of Sassicaia 2019, we are delighted offer you the opportunity to purchase some excellent stable wines with Guidalberto and Le Difese 2020 from legendary Super-Tuscan producer, Tenuta San Guido.
Tenuta San Guido takes its name from San Guido della Gherardesca, and is located on the Etruscan coast in between Livorno and Grosseto, in the Maremma, and extends for 13 kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea to behind the hills inland. It contains three important features: The Sassicaia, the Dormello Olgiata Breed in thoroughbred horses as well as the Marshes Of Bolgheri Wildlife Refuge.
Quietly, elegantly and almost involuntarily, the Incisa della Rocchetta family set a course to release a wine (Sassicaia), that would revolutionise the Italian wine scene, and in turn create a totally new genre: the Super-Tuscan. Tenuta San Guido is now a legendary estate; first planted in the 1940s by the Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who noted the similarity between Bolgheri’s terroir and that of the Graves (Bordeaux). When Sassicaia was finally commercially released in 1968, it took the fine wine world by storm. Cementing its iconic status, in 1994 it was granted its own appellation – Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC the first, and so far, only case in Italy of a DOC contained within one estate.
Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta, Tenuta San Guido’s owner, explains that Guidalberto came into being “first of all, [there was] the desire to see what we could accomplish with Merlot, a grape that we had never used before; second, the desire to offer the consumer a wine which could be appreciated at a younger age compared to our veteran Sassicaia”. Often touted as the estates second wine, however, with a new, purpose-built winery nearing completion, Guidalberto is stepping out of the shadows to define itself as a wine with its own distinct personality.
Several years later in 2003, Le Difese was first produced as an introductory wine; a gateway into the wonderful world of Tenuta San Guido.
Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta
Guidalberto 2020 | £180 IB (6x75cl)
2020 was a warm vintage, and the estate’s Merlot vines, situated on limestone-rich soils, were ideally equipped to deal with the summer’s high temperatures, yielding a ripe and seductive wine, ideal for early consumption. The Merlot handled the temperatures so well that its proportion in the blend was increased from the usual 40%, to 50% this year complimented by 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. We believe it is a significantly undervalued wine, and one that will provide much pleasure!
"The nose abounds with ripe, fragrant fruit and sweet spice. Plum, strawberry, blackcurrant and forest floor reveal the interplay of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, which constitute equal parts of the blend this year. The palate is juicy and supple, with admirable freshness given the warm vintage, framed by fine tannins. A juicy, sumptuous Super Tuscan. Guidalberto is carefully matured in 225 litre barriques (80% French oak, 20% American oak) for 15 months."
Drink 2022-2030
Le Difese 2020 | £95 IB (6x75cl)
2020 yielded a ripe and generous style wine (similar to 2018) where the Sangiovese contributes freshness and precision; so much so that it dominates the blend this year (55%) and is supported by Cabernet Sauvignon (45%) that adds elements of juicy, full-bodied fruit. It is aged for 12 months in a combination of both French and American oak barrels previously used for Guidalberto and Sassicaia, followed by a further three months in bottle. It's a wine that is distinguished by generous fruit, lively freshness and joyous drinkability.
"Juicy and approachable, the nose reveals ripe plums, blackberry, cherry and a Mediterranean touch of black olive. The palate offers crunchy dark berries, dried fruit and a hint of tobacco. This is a playful, easy-going red perfect for everyday enjoyment."
Drink 2022-2026
Prices quoted are sold In Bond (per case as stated), delivered to our Bonded Warehouse at Moor Park, and excludes UK Duty, VAT, and logistics charges. The wines are due to arrive in Summer 2022.
