Super Tuscan Alternatives

It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's a Super Tuscan

Hello,

You may be familiar with wine powerhouses Tignanello and Sassicaia, but have you ever wondered what propelled these wines to global stardom?

Let’s start at the beginning….

Origins of Rebellion

Plonk yourself in Tuscany in the late 1960s, a time when Tuscan winemakers were frustrated by the region's slow-moving bureaucracy.

Producers had to stick to the region’s strict rules and many felt opportunities were being missed.

This frustration led some producers to plant Bordeaux grape varietals in their vineyards….naughty!

The Trailblazers

Sassicaia made by Tenuta San Guido is seen as the father of Super Tuscans.

Although the inaugural vintage for this wine was in 1968, it wasn't until 1972 that this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc triumphed in a prestigious tasting in Bordeaux, putting Super Tuscans on the world wine map.

Tignanello made by Marchesi Antinori was the first Sangiovese to be aged in barriques, the first contemporary red wine blended with untraditional varieties (specifically Cabernet) and one of the first red wines in the Chianti Classico region that didn't use white grapes.

Getting tiggy with it….. the 1995 vintage that I shared with Will.

Ornellaia and Masseto by Tenuta dell’Ornellaia the former in particular known for its eponymous blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and the latter for its limited production of its Merlot-based wine.

In the Naughty Corner

The downside was that these “rule-breakers” only received the lowly Vino da Tavola classification (table wine).

This meant to entice buyers, producers resorted to savvy marketing tactics such as highlighting the producer's name rather than the region. For example, the suffix "-aia," meaning a vacant plot of land in Italian, became a Super Tuscan hallmark. Ornellaia, Rondinaia, and Solaia are examples of this.

The Rise of the Super Tuscan

As these wines gained traction in the 1980s, their popularity soared.

Wine writer Burt Anderson coined the term "Super Tuscan," and you’ve guessed it, it stuck like a magnet to metal.

Italy had a new superstar on its hands.

"The only motive of all the ideas I shall try to explain is my unlimited respect for Nature, in all of its forms, in all of its manifestations, in all of its mysteries, in all of its miracles that we are discovering little by little and that we shall never desist from admiring".

La Terra è Viva - Mario Incisa della Rocchetta (founder of Tenuta San Guido)

A Revolution Recognised

In 1992, the Italian government acknowledged the Super Tuscan success, introducing a new wine quality classification: Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT).

Sitting above Vino da Tavola but below DOC or DOCG (highest classification) wines, IGT status granted these rebels official recognition.

Finally, in 1994, the Bolgheri area, where many of these wines were made, revised its rules, embracing certain international varieties and integrating Super Tuscan wines into the esteemed DOC system.

Since then, other regions in Tuscany have followed suit and Sassicaia now even has its very own sub-region classification.

With Greatness Comes... Eye-watering Prices

Unless you are Meghan Markle (favourite wine Tiganenello) these wines aren’t going to be your mid-week settler.

Sassicaia, for instance, hovers around £250 for new releases.

Wines following the same code but lacking the same level of renown are often dubbed "mini" or "baby" Super Tuscans.

They can be challenging to locate and that’s why I’ve compiled a list that allows you to explore this Italian wine style without emptying your piggy bank: