WCC Vertical Tasting of Sassicaia
Enoteca di Vastola, Guilderland, NY
December 7, 1995
All wines from my cellar.
Flight 1
1979
1982
1983
1984
Flight 2
1987
1989
1991
1992
Flight 3
1985
1986
1988
1990
Dessert
1985 Antica Fattoria Sorbaiano Vin Santo Montescudaio DOC
[Montescudaio is a little-known wine region just north of
Bolgheri (where Sassicaia is produced).]
Sassicaia Facts
- Sassicaia is produced on the Tenuta San Guido estate
(
Tenuta
means farm or estate) by the Marchesi Incisa della Rocchetta.
- The estate is located near the town of Bolgheri, which is on the coast
of Tuscany south of the city of Livorno (Leghorn).
Nearby is the Ornellaia estate of Ludovico Antinori and not much else.
- The vineyard was planted in 1944 by Mario Incisa della Rocchetta using
cuttings from Chateau Lafite-Rothschild.
- The 1968 vintage was the first to be sold on the open market (3000 bottles).
It now sells at auction for $2000.
- 100,000 bottles are now produced.
- Sassicaia was distributed by Mario's nephew, Piero Antinori,
until the late 1980s.
It is now produced and distributed by Mario's son, Niccolo.
- The grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon (typically 85%) and Cabernet Franc (typically 15%).
- Average vine age is 30 years.
- The wine is aged 18—22 months in French and Yugoslavian oak.
- Sassicaia was classified
vino da tavola
(table wine) because there
was no DOC (the Italian equivalent of the French AOC) for cabernet
in this area. Starting with the 1994 vintage, Sassicaia will hold
the DOC Bolgheri Sassicaia
making it the first single-wine DOC
in all of Italy. (France has several single-wine AOC's, e.g. Romanee Conti.)
- Sassicaia is actually the name of one of five vineyards that produce
grapes for the Sassicaia wine.
Sassi
mean stones in Italian.
- In a recent poll of Italian wine experts, when asked,
In a flood
what wines would be the first ones you would save from your cellar?
Sassicaia finished first with twice as many votes as the second place
finisher.
All original content © Ken Vastola