Tenuta San Guido

Hard to believe: The first vintages of Sassicaia were received with little enthusiasm by those fortunate enough to taste it. In the 1940s, the young Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta farmed a hillside in the village of Bolgheri with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet franc. His goal: to press a grape modelled on Bordeaux.

It is well known that great Cabernet needs a long period of ageing in the bottle to develop its full potential. And so the response was initially more than sceptical. Sassicaia remained the family’s house wine for almost twenty years. Fortunately they decided to share it! In 1967, Mario’s son Nicolò finally brought the wine – which had now proven its potential – onto the market. Today, Sassicaia is quite simply a legendary wine. Partly because this wine has always remained true to itself. Rather than fashions and marketing, it embraces understated sophistication. The 2,500-hectare estate in Tuscany, 75 hectares of which are prime vineyards for the legendary Sassicaia, continues to be managed by Marchese Nicolò, assisted by his daughter Priscilla.