Tenuta San Guido - The Difese 2021
Tenuta San Guido is much better known by the name of its most famous wine: Sassicaia . The estate is located in the Tuscany region of Maremma , Italy , and has its own single-estate DOC designation (Bolgheri Sassicaia) applied to its flagship wine. Sassicaia , one of the original Super Tuscan wines, is made from Cabernet Sauvignon with a small amount of Cabernet Franc. The grapes used to produce Sassicaia are picked just before reaching full maturity, which contributes to finesse and fragrance as well as a lower alcohol level. After two weeks of fermentation in stainless steel vats, the wine is aged for around 24 months in French oak barrels, around 20% of which are new. Tenuta San Guido also makes Guidalberto and Le Difese using declassified fruit from Sassicaia and other estate vineyards; these two wines are classified IGT Toscana. In collaboration with the Santadi Co-op, the estate also owns Agricola Punica in Sardinia.
Tenuta San Guido Le Difese 2021 (“The Tusks”) takes its name from the teeth of the wild boar that roams the Tuscan hills. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese . Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures and maceration lasts approximately 13 to 15 days for Cabernet Sauvignon and 14 to 18 days for Sangiovese. It is then aged for 6 to 8 months in French oak barrels containing Sassicaia and Guidalberto. At the end of aging in wood, the wine is transferred again to stainless steel vats and stabilized for approximately 20 days before bottling.
Grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese