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Great Impression and low budget: Super Tuscans below 25€

What was the original Super Tuscan?

Sassicaia was officially the first Super Tuscan. Its story began in the 1940s when Mario Incisa della Rocchetta planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vines on his estate in Bolgheri to test how the local, maritime Tuscan terroir would respond to classic Bordeaux varieties. Then in 1972, the Marchesi’s nephew Piero Antinori arrived and the world was introduced to the first commercial release of Sassicaia—the 1968 vintage. New plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon were soon added, and a new wine great was born. Classic vintages, including the 1985, soon put the property on the world’s list of must-have wines; it now consists of 85 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 15 percent Cabernet Franc.Then in 1972, the Marchesi’s nephew Piero Antinori arrived and the world was introduced to the first commercial release of Sassicaia—the 1968 vintage. New plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon were soon added, and a new wine great was born.

Classic vintages, including the 1985, soon put the property on the world’s list of must-have wines; it now consists of 85 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 15 percent Cabernet Franc. In 1987, the estate bottled the first official release of Masseto, made from 100 percent Merlot grapes. Masseto became another world-renowned wine, with the 2001 vintage garnering 100 points from Robert Parker. Other Bolgheri wines to look out for include Guado al Tasso and Grattamacco.

Today, Super Tuscan wines include some of the most formidable names recognized worldwide. They are expensive but often worth every penny. But there are of course many affordable “Super Tuscans” too. I have selected 15 of them under €30 that are now widely available on the market to represent these Super Tuscan smart buys, from Toscana IGT, Maremma DOC, Bolgheri DOC, and the new Valdarno di Sopra DOC.

A couple around 50€:

  1. Tenuta Sette Ponti “Oreno” Toscana IGT: Strikingly similiar to the red blends of Bordeaux and Napa but with the classic clay-like funk from Italian terroir. Tenuta Sette Ponti makes two other super Tuscans by the names of “Crognolo” and “Poggio al Lupo Maremma”. Tenuta Sette Ponti is part of the Kobrand Wine and Spirits Portfolio.

  2. Castello di Fonterutoli “Siepi” Toscana IGT: "moderate to intense ruby red colour with gorgeous fragrances rising from the glass. Aromas of bing cherry, satsuma plum, and crushed violets are dominant, with softly emergent notes of candied rose petal, chalk dust, baking spice, lavender and fennel pollen with aeration. Supremely elegant on the palate, the Siepi is wonderfully nuanced and long in the mouth. Medium to full-bodied in style, the wine displays leading flavours of Ariel Plum, boysenberry, and perfectly ripe Rainier cherries. Tertiary notes of cassis, roasted hazelnut, and macadamia praline emerge as it evolves on the palate. The Siepi has a wonderfully lithe acidity and supple crushed gravel tannins, allowing the wine to literally float across the palate with seductively descending cherry, cedar, and plum fruit tones. Jamie Stewart, US Rep for Ferrari Sparkling Wines

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