Super Tuscan is an unofficial category of wines produced in Tuscany, which are not recognized within the Italian wine classification system.  The name was originally conceived to describe a class of red wines that originated in Chianti during the 1970s and early-1980s which describes any Tuscan red wine that does not adhere to traditional blending laws for the region.

Wine producers at the time used 100% Sangiovese, Chianti’s most prominent red grape, others blended Sangiovese with non-traditional red grapes, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc and some went so far even as to use only non-traditional red grapes. It was a radical idea at the time to produce a red wine that did not contained any white grapes, which the law required back then.

By experimenting with non-traditional grapes, by employing new winemaking techniques, such as small-barrel aging (up to that time Chianti had always been aged in large casks), the quality of Chianti was greatly enhanced.  However, this experiment caused a problem. Even though these revamped Chiantis were excellent, they could not under strict Italian wine, be called Chianti.  So they were labelled Vino da Tavola, “Table Wine”, a designation given to low-end wines of questionable origin.

The first Super Tuscan was Sassicaia.  It was the first wine from Tuscany to be produced entirely from the Bordeaux varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.  It originated with the Marchesi Mario Incisa Della Rochetta, who became acquainted with Bordeaux wines during the ‘40’s.  He believed that wines of the same quality could be produced in Tuscany using Bordeaux grapes and methods, in particular in the area of Bolgheri at his estate Tenuta San Guido.

So, in 1944 he planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vines obtained from Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, at San Guido.  He used small French-oak barrels instead of the traditional large chestnut vats that were commonly used.  Those early vintages were kept only for private consumption, but in 1968 the first vintage was commercially available to the world as the first Super Tuscan.

In the 1970s, Piero Antinori, a nephew of Mario Incisa Della Rocchetta who had been a consultant at Tenuta San Guido since the historic 1968 vintage, was inspired by the success of Sassicaia.  He decided to make a richer wine by eliminating the white grapes from the Chianti blend, adding instead Bordeaux varietals (namely, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) to Sangiovese.  The result was a wine he named Tignanello.

Another relative of Marchesi Mario Incisa della Rochetta, Marchesi Lodovico Antinori, who is Piero’s cousin, created Ornellaia in Bolgheri.  He had inherited the adjoining property to Tenuta San Guido and in the early 1980’s, inspired by the advancements of the Napa Valley, brought in renowned California viticulturalist, Andre Tchelistcheff to give advice on the creation of Ornellaia.

Encouraged by the success of these wines, other winemakers started experimenting with blends of their own.  Many were simply 100% Sangiovese, which could not be labelled Chianti Classico at the time. Legislation has since caught up with the producers and Chianti Classico may now be produced solely from Sangiovese.

Because these wines did not conform to strict DOCG classifications, in 1992 the creation of the Indicazione Geografica Tipica category or IGT specifically addressed the need of consumers to be able to identify a non-traditional wine of guaranteed quality.  In addition, the laws governing Chianti were changed.  White grapes were no longer required to be part of the blend, but the wines must have a minimum of 80% Sangiovese (or 100%, if the producer so desired) and could include up to 20% non-traditional red varietals (such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot or Syrah). This meant that many of the original Super Tuscan’s could now call themselves Chianti if they wished although most choose not to do so, preferring instead to retain a singular identity such as Sassicaia or Tignanello

Today Sassicaia and Ornellaia are labelled as DOC wines from the Bolgheri region.  DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, meaning the wine is from a region that has been defined by the Italian Wine governing body.  Tignanello is another story; it is today labelled as IGT or Indicazione Geografica Tipica.

Super-Tuscan Wine Picks:

The 2008 Antinori Guado al Tasso “IL Bruciato” ($42) is the second label for the Antinori’s regular Guado al Tasso, which usually sells for $94+ so at more than half the price, this wine is a bargain.  And what a delicious wine it is.  A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 20% Syrah, the wine has an impressive, concentrated ruby red colour, aromas of cassis, black raspberry, Damson plum, black cherry with hints of mushroom, tobacco, tar, smoke, cedar, vanilla and pepper.  Multi-dimensional in every sense of the word, the flavours mirror the aromas with the same intensity.  The finish is long and complex with crisp acidity and firm tannins.  This could do with a few more years of aging to settle down and would cellar until 2020.

A superb Sangiovese-based IGT wine, the 2008 Tua Rita Rosso dei Notri ($35) is a blend of  Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a dash of Cabernet Franc and Syrah.  The colour is a deep ruby red with garnet hues, an elegant aroma of violets, black cherries, plums, cassis, dried herbs, leather, licorice and smoke.  A full-bodied with very flavourful red and black fruit, with subtle hints of vanilla, violets, tobacco leaf, and cocoa that lingers on the delicious palate.  The crisp acidity and a silky tannic texture give the wine a firm backbone, and great balance.  Ready to go tonight or cellar for a couple of years, it is excellent to pair with pasta’s, risottos or braised meat dishes.

A blend of 60% Sangiovese, 40% Syrah, the 2005 Rocca delle Macie Sasyr ($23) is sourced from Rocca delle Macie vineyards in the Maremma coastal district of southeastern Tuscany.  Soft and supple, look for aromas of black plum, black cherry, raspberry, cedar, tobacco, licorice, cocoa, smoke, mushroom, saddle leather, black olive and vanilla.  The flavours are absolutely delicious with an abundance of black and red fruits, licorice, smoked meat, cocoa, roasted coffee and dried herbs.  The texture is smooth on the palate with soft acidity, firm tannins and a long, persistent, fragrant finish.

Tuscany is not the only area that is blending non-traditional Italian grapes.  Just to the south in Umbria, the 2007 Falesco Vitiano ($26) is a blend of equal parts of Merlot, Cabernet, and Sangiovese grapes, fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged in French oak barrels for 3 months before being bottled.  Consistently one of the finest values in the marketplace, Vitiano has a deep ruby colour with aromas of dried roses, strawberries, cherries, black currants, and cedar-spice box.  Showing great intensity, loads of fruit, medium body and an elegant, clean finish, it is a character-filled Italian red to consume over the next 1-2 years.