Noble Italian wine "Sassicaya" is made in the province of Bolgeri (Tuscany) by the company "Tenuta San Guido". The literal translation of the name of the drink sounds like “Stone lands”. This is due to the fact that the grape varieties from which this wine is made grow on soils covered with gravel. The combination of a mild climate and specific soil turned out to be very suitable for the Cabernet Sauvignon and Fran. Such a risky step was taken by the Marquis Incisa Mario della Rocchetta, because no one had even thought about such an experiment before.
History of creation
"Sassikaya" - a wine that was born thanks to a number of attempts to grow berries that are not suitable for a particular region. In 1968, laws in Tuscany did not permit the assignment of a higher class to beverages made from Cabernet Sauvignon and other categories of foreign fruits.
Nevertheless, the creators of the product in question decided on a risky experiment. As a result, the Sassikaya wine appeared, which entered the elite category of not only the country, but also the world. This drink is distinguished by the original name of the class, to which the product, invented by wine-making specialists and journalists, is assigned. It sounds like super Tuscan. It should be noted that in the highest category of DOS wine fell only in 1994.
Features
In the mid-seventies of the last century, a six-year-old drink gained a convincing victory over an exclusive bouquet of French drinks (burgundy and gran gru). A blend of two traditional French grape varieties grown in Italy has become one of the best in the world.
Sassikaya wine is aged one and a half to two years in special barrels with a capacity of two hundred twenty-five liters. Before sale, it is additionally stored in bottles. A Tuscan product can gain a rich aroma and color for twenty years. The fame and popularity of the drink is due to the good survival of grapes in different places, as well as taste qualities that combine notes of currant, cherry and plum. An elite product belongs to noble wines, which eventually become richer and better.
Tasting and characteristics
Below are the main organoleptic parameters that have supertuscan wines. The best wines under the Sassikaya brand possess:
- intense ruby color;
- pronounced saturation and full-bodied color depth;
- a complex, sophisticated fruity aroma interspersed with blueberries, black currants, fruits of cherry, plum, lavender and wild herbs;
- balanced taste with bright acidity, seamless texture, stable finish with delicate notes of fruit and spices;
The drink is combined with game, fried meat and mature cheese. Recommended serving temperature is 16-18 degrees Celsius.
In fact, “Sassikaya” is a wine that has received its characteristics largely due to the combination of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon grape varieties.
Interesting Facts
As already noted, the name of the drink translates as “Stone land”. The Sassicaya wine was named so because French grape varieties were grown on the gravel soils of Tuscany in the village of Bolgeri. Economic resources are located at an altitude of more than a hundred meters above sea level, are protected from the wind by hills, and are under the influence of a mild marine climate. The nature of the soil in the province is mainly clay and limestone. The exposition of the variety belongs to the southeast species, the vines are formed according to the principle of cordon speronato.
The production of the drink in 2013 is dedicated to the thirtieth anniversary of the death of the company's founder Mario Incisa della Rocchetta and the eightieth anniversary of his son Nicolas. He worthily continued the work of his father, supported traditions and brought new shades to the taste and color scheme. The product in question picks up optimal properties after ten years of storage.
Product Details
Sassicaia (Sassicaia wine) is produced by Tenuta San Guido, one of the most famous Italian producers whose vineyards are located in the Tuscan countryside of Bolgeri. In addition to the main direction, the company specializes in the production of olive oil and grappa. The della Rocchetta family is rightfully considered to be the pioneers of Bordeaux grape varieties in Italy and pioneers in the creation of super-Tuscan elite wines.
The fruit yield is approximately five thousand kilograms per hectare. Grape harvesting begins in early September, lasts fourteen days. The product is kept for two weeks in stainless steel tanks with a volume of thirty-five to one hundred hectoliters each. Fermentation of an alcoholic beverage occurs at an adjustable temperature of thirty degrees. Until the end of October, raw materials are in the second spin mode. The finished wine is aged in French oak barrels for two years, after which it is bottled and, after another twelve months, goes on sale. Before serving, it is recommended to separate the sediment naturally formed at the bottom of the tank.
Reviews and cost
Sassikaya wine, the price of which starts at twenty thousand rubles, regularly takes first places in special competitions. Customer reviews only additionally confirm the quality and nobleness of this drink.
Users and experts note that the wine has a full-bodied structure. It is saturated with ruby color with a clear structure of taste and aroma. A wide and elite bouquet includes a gamut of berry picking with spices. The product in question systematically gets high marks in the ratings of “Robert Parker” and “Vine Spectator”, which are decisive in measuring the elite component of wine.
In Italy, many followers of the cultivation of French grape varieties appeared, of which such supertuscan wines are made:
- Ornellaya.
- "Solaya."
- Tignanello.
- Fontody, Vigorello and many others.
These drinks are distinguished by a blend of the famous Sauvignon with local Sangiovese grapes, as well as with some variations in percentage and aging.
Secrets of composition and production
The owner of the Tuscan estate "Tenuta San Guido", Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, was a noble connoisseur of wines from the province of Bordeaux. Despite the laws that do not allow classifying drinks made from foreign varieties as an elite category, he decided to start growing the most popular fruits in France. This marked the beginning of the production of elite drinks from a mixture of Sauvignon and Fran in a percentage of 80/20.
In 1968, the collaboration between the Marquis Mario Incisa and the ethnologist Giacomo Taxisy resulted in the appearance of an elite drink called Sassikaya. The product gained immense popularity first in Italy, and then throughout the world. After revising the rules of 1961, the drink in 1994 entered the highest category (DOS) and was assigned to the class of Super Tuscan wines. The publication "Decanter" organized a tasting in 1974, on which a unique story took place. “Sassikaya” from the province of Bolgeri went around all the taste and other parameters of the famous French Bordeaux wines.
Conclusion
Elite wine "Sassikaya" is rightfully a worthy representative among the world's elite drinks. Thanks to a successful combination of blends, original aging technology and a suitable climate, the product received a rich color and aroma, high density, a unique combination of fruit and spicy shades, as well as a pleasant and long finish.
Connoisseurs of this noble drink will appreciate all its features, which have been repeatedly noted at various international competitions and exhibitions. Sassikaya continues to occupy a leading position for several decades, competing on equal terms with French and other European brands.