Tenuta San Guido is the producer of Sassicaia, the groundbreaking Super Tuscan that established Bolgheri as a fine wine region and became the only estate in Italy to hold its own dedicated DOC. Founded in the 1940s by Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta on the Tuscan coast, the property remains under the stewardship of the Incisa della Rocchetta family. Its wines are distinguished by refined aromatic complexity, structural precision and extraordinary capacity for cellaring across decades.
Quick Facts
- Location: Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy
- Founded: 1940s
- Founder: Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta
- Ownership: Incisa della Rocchetta family
- Classification: Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC – Italy's only single-estate DOC
- Principal grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc
- Soils: Gravel, sand, clay and limestone
- Grand Vin: Sassicaia
- Estate wines: Guidalberto and Le Difese
- Style: Structured, aromatic and built for extended ageing
- Ageing potential: 30 to 50 years or more for Sassicaia
- First commercial vintage: 1968
A Pioneering Vision on the Tuscan Coast
Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta planted Cabernet Sauvignon at Tenuta San Guido in the 1940s, inspired by the fine wines of Bordeaux and guided by his belief that the gravelly soils and maritime climate of coastal Tuscany could produce wines of similar structure and finesse. For decades, Sassicaia remained a private wine shared only among friends and family.
The first commercial release came in 1968, and by the 1970s, Sassicaia had gained international recognition. It challenged prevailing perceptions of Italian wine and inspired an entire generation of producers to explore international varieties beyond Tuscany's traditional Sangiovese heartland. In 1994, Sassicaia was granted its own DOC—Bolgheri Sassicaia—the only appellation in Italy created for a single estate.
The Vineyards of Bolgheri
The estate's vineyards lie between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the hills that shelter Bolgheri from the interior. Cooling maritime breezes moderate summer temperatures and extend the ripening season, allowing Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to develop aromatic complexity alongside structural depth.
The diversity of Bolgheri's soils plays a defining role in the estate's wines. Layers of gravel, sand, clay and limestone create varied expressions across different parcels, with the finest fruit selected for Sassicaia. These geological characteristics, combined with careful vineyard management and low yields, form the foundation for wines of concentration, balance and remarkable longevity.
Sassicaia and the Estate Portfolio
Sassicaia is typically composed of approximately 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, though proportions vary by vintage. After fermentation, the wine matures for around 24 months in French oak barriques, developing layered aromas of cassis, cedar, graphite and dried herbs alongside firm but refined tannins. It is a wine built to evolve gracefully over 30 years or more.
Guidalberto, introduced in 2000, blends Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and offers a more approachable expression of the estate's terroir and winemaking philosophy. Le Difese, the estate's third wine, combines Cabernet Sauvignon with Sangiovese and is made for earlier drinking while maintaining the clarity and balance that define Tenuta San Guido across its range.
