What is a Super Tuscan red wine?

“Super Tuscan” is a term used to describe red wines from Tuscany that may include non-indigenous grapes, particularly Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. The creation of super Tuscan wines resulted from the frustration winemakers had towards a slow bureaucracy in changing Italy's wine law during the 1970s.

What makes a wine a Super Tuscan?

A Super Tuscan is generally a red wine from Tuscany that does not restrain itself to indigenous Italian varieties but embraces international grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to create complex premium single-varietal or blended wines.

How can you tell if a wine is Super Tuscan?

Many producers use the suffix “-aia,” which refers to a vacant plot of land in Italian, in their proprietary names to indicate that the wine is a Super Tuscan. Other examples include Ornellaia, Rondinaia, and Solaia.

What blend is Super Tuscan?

The blend was comprised of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, aged in French oak barrels. Ornellaia, located near Sassicaia, was planted by Lodovico Antinori in 1981. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the first vintage was bottled in 1985.

What differentiates Super Tuscan wines from other Tuscan wines?

A “Super Tuscan” wine is a red wine from Tuscany that contains non-indigenous grapes such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Syrah. To make high-quality wines, winemakers began blending 'unsanctioned' wine varieties (such as Merlot) into their blends.

The Beginners Guide to SUPER TUSCAN Wines

Is Chianti Classico a Super Tuscan?

The term Super Tuscan was coined in the early 1980s to describe a red blend from Tuscany. What makes “super Tuscan” wine different from other Tuscan wines (like Chianti) is the use of wine grapes that are not indigenous to Italy.

Why is it called a Super Tuscan?

They coined the term “super Tuscan” to distinguish their wines from the inexpensive, low-quality wines that were associated with the term vino da tavola, or “table wine,” that they were forced to put on the label.

What is a super Tucson?

Today, most super Tuscans use the IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) designation or the Bolgheri DOC, which was established for red wines using international grape varieties in 1994. The wines tend to be modern, big and rich—and often carry a price tag of $100 or more a bottle.

How many Super Tuscan wines are there?

Tuscany has forty-one Denominazioni di origine controllata (DOC) and eleven Denominazioni di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). In the 1970s a new class of wines known in the trade as "Super Tuscans" emerged.

Is Barolo a Super Tuscan?

For Italy, the must-haves include top Super Tuscans (Sassicaia, Ornellaia) and Barolos (Giacomo Conterno), and the most well-known producers, like Italy's Gaja, which is well known for Barbarescos and Barolos.

Is Tuscan red wine sweet?

Flavor Profile

Originating in the Tuscany region of Italy, Chianti primarily consists of Sangiovese grapes, but other wine grapes such as Colorino, Canaiolo and Cabernet Sauvignon can sometimes be found in Chianti. Bright red in color, Chianti is known for its mix of sweet, tart and even spicy flavors.

What's the difference between Chianti and Merlot?

Let's start with what Merlot and Chianti have in common: They are both red wine. After that, the details diverge. Chianti is a district in Italy's Tuscany region, and the wines of Chianti are made primarily from the Sangiovese grape. Merlot, on the other hand, is a grape, not a region.

Is Caiarossa a Super Tuscan?

Does the World Need Another Super Tuscan? Caiarossa is the new Super Tuscan on the block and the other “aias” should take note. It's not yet in the league of Ornellaia or Sassicaia, but based on my first introduction to this young estate, it could be soon.

Which is better Barolo vs Brunello?

Strong structure is common to both types of wine, but their relationship of tannin and acidity is inverted: Barolo wines tend to have high tannin with acidity that is just a touch lower, while Brunello di Montalcino wines tend to have high acidity with tannin that is slightly lower.

Is Chianti the same as Sangiovese?

The main grape in both appellations is Sangiovese. In Chianti Classico, the wine must be made from at least 80 percent Sangiovese grapes. In Chianti, only 70 percent needs to be Sangiovese. And while Chianti Classico only allows red grapes, Chianti allows up to 10 percent white grape varieties.

Is DOCG better than Doc?

Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG), is the highest quality level. The DOCG designation was created in 1980 in response to criticisms that there were too many DOCs and their quality was variable. DOCG wines, in contrast, were to be truly the best of what Italian wines could offer.

Is Brunello di Montalcino a Super Tuscan?

Tuscan Wines: an Archipelago of Denominations

The superstars of the reds are Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Nobile di Montepulciano and Super Tuscans: some of the most famous wines of the world.

What was the first Super Tuscan wine?

But as important as Tignanello was to the rise of the Super Tuscan's… It wasn't the first. That honour belongs to the stunning Sassicaia, which broke all of the rules and set the scene for what would become the most important revolution In Italian wine that we saw in the 20^th century.

Is Tignanello a Super Tuscan?

Apart from Sassicaia, Tignanello is considered one of the first of the modern Super Tuscan wines. It originated from Antinori's Chianti Classico-region vineyard in 1971 from a proprietary blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Is Villa Antinori a Super Tuscan?

As the Antinori's recognized how non-native grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot added to Sangiovese raised the level of quality of their wine they started blending more and more and finally could no longer use the DOC designation and so it became a Super Tuscan IGT.

Who started Super Tuscan?

Undeniably, the founding father of Super Tuscan wines is Marchesi Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who arrived in Tuscany—for years the home of Sangiovese, the predominant grape variety of Chianti—from Rome in the 1940s.

Is Brunello a Chianti?

Both wines are made from variations of the Sangiovese grape. In Chianti, the grape varietal used to produce wines is Sangiovese Piccolo. In Brunello di Montalcino, the grape varietal used to produce wines is Sangiovese Grosso, which is commonly known as Brunello.

Is Toscana wine dry or sweet?

Given Tuscany's longstanding success with dry red wine, this style is by far the most common style with a majority produced from the Sangiovese grape variety. Other popular varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

What is the Italian equivalent of Cabernet Sauvignon?

Aglianico from Italy

Aglianico grows in the southern part of Italy around Campania and Basilicata. You'll find this wine to have rich tannins and a meaty flavor. It's surprisingly long and complex on the palate which is what makes it such a great alternative to savory Cabernet Sauvignon.

What is the smoothest red wine to drink?

With that basic understanding of not being too tannic or acidic, sommeliers can recommend the best wines for anyone looking for a smooth drink. Pinot Noir, Gamay, Grenache, Trousseau, and Poulsard are considered classic examples of smooth wine by Dustin Wilson, master sommelier and owner of Verve Wine.