There is always a history behind a beautiful creation, especially in Italy. Everything you see, watch or wear, has a considerable history behind it. Take it for wine. The Italian wine Sassicaia has a history of breaking the wine tradition. How amazing is that a wine dared to break away from the usuals and made it better!
The Story of the Origin
It all started after world war II. Agronomist Mario Incisa was a successful farmer. More famous for his beautiful tulips. A veteran himself, he always had to challenge everything. Doing new things was in his blood. So when it was the grape season, Mario thought about planting. And suddenly it hit him, why not make his favourite wine in his vineyard? But with a twist! Italian wine has a strict rule about the variety of grapes and the way it is made. Mario was a fighter. He went against the traditions and planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
In 1944 after bottling the first batch of his wine, Mario wasn’t pleased with it. It didn’t taste as expected. Mario immediately understood that he needed help. In comes oenologist Giacomo Tachis. So, together with Mario Incisa, he made the first Super Tuscan in 1968. Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Italy’s favourite Sangiovese grapes created the dark, bold and sensational Italian wine Sassicaia. It was something really out of the ordinary.
A fraught journey to acceptance
Initially, the locals didn’t like the taste of the Sassicaia wine. It wasn’t traditional. It went out and blended with a different breed of grapes. And it wasn’t good enough for them. So Sassicaia would have to wait till 1975.
At that point, the wine participated in a blind wine tasting – an international one. Thirty-three of the world-famous Bordeaux blends went head to head, and Sassicaia came out as the winner with its 1972 vintage. That is when people started to accept it, and Sassicaia made its place among the best of the best.
A formula truly it’s own
Sassicaia is a dark, creamy and thick wine. So, perhaps it isn’t something you can drink at one gulp. Instead, one should take some time with it to appreciate its ingenuity. As for the process, every grape is hand-picked carefully. Then it gets scrutinised one at a time. While sorting, only the finest grapes pass for winemaking. After all, it can’t be anything but the finest.
The selected grapes then go through the fermentation process in cement vats. Then it is left in oak barrels for 30 days. Once the month passes, it’s time for bottling. It’s all raw, no filtering or anything. So, when you take a sip, you get the most authentic taste.
So if you are a wine lover, you must try the Italian wine Sassicaia. You will have regrets if you haven’t. Its unique taste is as individual as its history. The wine itself went to war against the tradition and won its place, after all!
