Tenuta San Guido

Tenuta San Guido, located in the Bolgheri region of Tuscany, is one of Italy’s most esteemed wine estates. Renowned globally for its iconic wine, Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido has played a pivotal role in establishing Bolgheri as a premier wine-producing region and helped redefine Italian winemaking. The estate’s history dates back to the early 20th century when Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta envisioned creating a Bordeaux-style wine in Italy. In 1944, he planted Cabernet Sauvignon vines on the Tenuta San Guido estate, believing that the terroir’s unique gravelly soils—similar to those found in Graves, Bordeaux—would be ideal for producing fine wines.

Spanning approximately 2,500 hectares, the estate features a mix of vineyards, olive groves, and natural reserves. The vineyard’s unique microclimate, influenced by its proximity to the Tyrrhenian Sea and the region’s gravelly, well-draining soils, provides ideal conditions for cultivating Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, the primary grapes used in Sassicaia. Tenuta San Guido is committed to sustainable viticulture and traditional winemaking practices. The estate focuses on producing wines that express the distinctiveness of the Bolgheri terroir while maintaining elegance, complexity, and aging potential. Under the stewardship of the Incisa della Rocchetta family, the winery continues to innovate while preserving its rich heritage.

In 1968, Tenuta San Guido released its first vintage of Sassicaia to the public. The wine’s extraordinary quality and distinct character earned it critical acclaim, marking the birth of the “Super Tuscan” movement. Sassicaia was the first Italian wine to receive its own DOC (Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC) in 1994, cementing its status as a trailblazer in Italian viticulture. Sassicaia is widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest wines, regularly receiving top scores from leading wine critics and publications.

Tenuta San Guido release their second wine Guidalberto a year before Sassicaia. The name Guidalberto, introduced in 2000, was inspired by the current proprietor’s great great great grandfather Guidalberto della Gheradesca. The wine was created for two reasons; the Estates desire to accomplish something with Merlot (a grape that they do not use in Sassicaia) and to create a wine which could be enjoyed younger than their ‘veteran Sassicaia’. Guidalberto is aged for 15 months in French oak barriques, with a small element of American oak and then three months in bottle before being released onto the market. Guidalberto’s blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. Sassicaia’s is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc but aged longer for 24 months in French barrique and six months in bottle.