When we talk about wines, Italy can be an unknown world for many of us and even more so if we refer to those coming from an atypical and distant corner such as Bolgheri. Located in Tuscany on the Etruscan coast northwest of the 'boot', Bolgheri is a small district of about 500 hectares of land in its entirety.
In the world of wine, Tuscany has been synonymous with Brunellos or Chiantis and the Sangiovese variety, native to the region. But beyond its wines, grape varieties and traditional regions, Bolgheri is an area that is gaining popularity for being the cradle of the so-called super Tuscans, becoming a paradise for wine enthusiasts for its renowned wineries and spectacular scenery.
Super Tuscan wines were born relatively recently, when the Marquis Incisa della Rochetta imported French varieties to the region, seeking to produce great Italian reds with a character similar to that of Bordeaux wines.
From his experiments he created Bolgheri Sassicaia in 1968 with 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, producing a result that has been a worldwide success. Even so, its real success was triggered when the critic Robert Parker awarded Sassicaia 100 points in 1985.
Super Tuscans are not made with a specific technique, their only particularity is their aging for more than 12 months in small barrels. Nor are they governed by special regulations, which means that winemakers can have more creativity and freedom than producers of appellations of origin (DOCs or DOCGs), who must follow a rigorous control by the regulatory bodies.
Adriana Jiménez Gutiérrez
