What are Super Tuscans?
A Super Tuscan? That’s bold, unconventional red wine from Tuscany. Around the mid-1970s, this heroic name was given to red wines from the Chianti area, produced without adhering to the local DOC regulations. Because great wine doesn’t need bureaucracy. The seed for Super Tuscans was planted in and around the Chianti region, where a group of rebellious winemakers had had enough of poor-quality wines and decided it was time for change. They started experimenting with different grape varieties and modern vinification techniques, and it turned out to be a bullseye.
Ten years earlier, the Chianti DOC had been established, requiring that a bottle of Chianti consist of at least 80% Sangiovese. The remaining 20% had to be made up of local white grapes. Now, there was nothing wrong with Sangiovese (because it’s delicious), but that extra twenty percent turned a lot of wines into real headaches, quite literally.
The story of Sassicaia is the story of a wine-loving Italian marquis who preferred to drink Bordeaux. When World War II broke out and trade routes with France were cut off, he could no longer get it. So, he thought, why not make Bordeaux himself? And in 1944, he casually planted French Cabernet vines in Tuscan soil. The Italian wine world was in uproar — he was almost tarred and feathered, or at least widely mocked. That was then. Today, Sassicaia has long stood at the pinnacle of Italian wine, and wine lovers around the world are eager to get a taste.
Still, all those foreign grape varieties like Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc being planted in Tuscany didn’t sit well with the region’s wine laws. Sassicaia couldn’t even hope for an official status. On top of that, the traditional Slavonian oak barrels were replaced by new French oak barriques. The result? Tuscany’s thin red wines suddenly leapt from the barrel as full-bodied, complex powerhouses bursting with fruit. The Super Tuscan was born. The same goes for other wines like Ornellaia and Tignanello, which followed Sassicaia’s lead by using non-native grapes. They were downgraded to *Vino da Tavola* – table wine. But thanks to their insanely high quality, they were soon lovingly referred to as ‘Super Tuscans.’
Today, most Super Tuscans fall under special appellations, with *IGT Toscana* being the largest. Within this *Indicazione Geografica Tipica*, there’s plenty of room for experimentation with both native and non-native grapes, resulting in an astonishing variety of delicious wines. Often in that typical full-bodied style, packed with red fruit and depth.
TOP PRODUCERS OF SUPER TUSCANS
Bolgheri/Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC: Masseto, Le Macchiole, Ornellaia, Tenuta San Guido
Chianti Classico DOCG: Castello dei Rampolla, Castello di Ama, Fontodi, Isole e Olena, Marchesi Antinori, San Felice
Maremma Toscana DOC: Gaja, Poggio Verrano