Only wine from a single wine estate in Italy to have its own DOC.
Critic tasting note: "A magnificent vintage, the product of a very Mediterranean yet regular season that was decidedly ‘Bolgheri-esque’. The color is an intense ruby-garnet and the bouquet elegant and clean with notes of wild berries that are full and elegant with balsamic hints in the background. The mouthfeel is velvety, almost silky, without any tartness, composed, fine and with a nice agile body and a surprising persistence. A virtuous mix of elegance and drinkability." - 98/100, Doctorwine
- Drinking Window: 2016-2035
- Alcohol ABV: 13.5%
- Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon & 15% Cabernet Franc
Vintage Notes
The climate for the 2012 vintage was rather special. Autumn and Winter were long and cold, to the point that at the end of January the Bolgheri hills were covered with snow. Bolgheri experienced a cold, yet rainless fall and winter, which was not the case for other parts of Tuscany. Cold temperatures were favorable for the halting of the vegetative growth and the natural elimination of some pests of the vine. The spring started with a slight delay, causing the vines to bud 10 - 15 days later than the seasonal average. From the beginning of May, however, the temperatures rose and accelerated the arrival of summer. June rainfall partially reconstituted the water reserves of the soil. The summer was very hot, with sunny days and temperatures above the seasonal average. Although some have likened the summer of 2012 to that of 2003, the difference lies in the considerable fluctuations in temperature between night and day which prevented water stress in plants in 2012.
Harvest Date Notes: Early September - first days of October
Winemaking
The primary fermentation took place in temperature controlled stainless steel vats at a temperature of 30° - 31° C. The maceration of the skins lasted 15 days for both the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Cabernet Franc, with a combination of pumping over and délestage. The malolactic or secondary fermentation also took place in the steel vats.
Ageing
Following the malolactic fermentation, the wine was aged in French oak barriques for 24 months and a few more months in the bottle before being released on the market.
Established in 1948 by Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, Tenuta San Guido is a super-premium Italian wine producer with 75 hectares of vineyards in the Bolgheri DOC in Tuscany. Best known for producing "Super Tuscan" wines, its flagship wine Sassicaia is considered one of Italy's leading Bordeaux-style reds. Prior to 1994, Sassicaia was classified as a simple Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) as it was made from non-traditional varieties for the region and thus was excluded from DOC status. To rectify the situation, Sassicaia was granted its own DOC (Sassicaia DOC) in 1994, the only wine from a single estate in Italy to enjoy this privilege. Alongside Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido also produces a second wine; a Cabernet Merlot Sangiovese blend called Guidalberto.
