10 of the Best Super Tuscan Wines

Once an interloper, Sassicaia was a new face in the collector’s circuit. Now, it needs a scant introduction to auction houses and sybarites. Widely regarded as one of the original Super Tuscans, Sassicaia has its roots in Mario Incisa della Rocchetta’s decision to plant Cabernet Sauvignon at Bolgheri in 1944. The first commercial vintage was 1968. The terroir is legendary, as is the care and attention the winery puts into its work. The 2017 vintage was described as “curvy” and “racy” by leading critic Antonio Galloni – who are we to argue?

Approachable with suave, velvety tannins, it appeals to both impatient drinkers and those who wish to wait; top vintages of Sassicaia tend to do very well in the secondary market because of their potential as an investment vehicle. Our advice, though, is to drink and savor rather than sell.

Named after the estate’s savior, Lodovico is perhaps one of Tuscany’s less famous icon wines. After investing his heart and soul into Bolgheri’s Ornellaia, Marchese Lodovico Antinori pursued other projects and brought a neglected property now called Tenuta di Biserno. He felt that the combination of clay soils, altitude, and the cooling influence of the Tyrrhenian Sea would make high-quality wine growing a distinct possibility. He has since been vindicated: Lodovico has quickly risen to the ranks of Tuscany’s most outstanding wines. This is particularly remarkable, as the estate’s vineyards were planted in the early 2000s, while the six-hectare Vigna Lodovico dates from 2002. With the help of Bordeaux consultant Michel Rolland and exceptional terroir, this Cabernet Franc-dominant blend is refined and powerful – generous to a fault; its velvety and fleshy palate is wonderfully indulgent.

The Super Tuscan revolution could not have occurred without the Antinori family. While Mario Incisa della Rocchetta inspired others to plant Bordeaux varieties in local soils, Piero Antinori showed the world that Chianti could rise above the confines of the (then) antiquated DOC system. They are the true Godfathers of the Super Tuscan style, and Solaia is their most outstanding achievement. A heady blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese, Patriarch Piero Antinori established this excellent wine in 1978; Solaia rapidly became a major critical and consumer success and today fetches understandably high prices at auction. In line with other notable estates, the 2017 vintage was lauded as “one of the great all-time vintages in Tuscany” by American critics.

It remains an extremely intelligent buy for both connoisseurs and collectors alike. Blackberry jam, graphite, tar, espresso, violets, crushed rocks, and spices are signature aromas of Solaia, underpinned by a sophisticated, structured palate. The best years will cellar for decades.

To understand Masseto, it is (briefly) necessary to explore the history of Ornellaia. Founded in 1981 by Lodovico Antinori in Bolgheri, Ornellaia is now recognized as one of the region’s finest Super Tuscans. However, in addition to producing a fantastic Bordeaux blend, the estate’s former winemaker, Andre Tchelistcheff, planted a single vineyard in a unique terroir known as the Masseto Hill. With rare grey and blue clay, the site’s porous yet well-drained soils are ideal for Merlot. Made in tiny quantities, an experimental Merlot was bottled in 1986; the first official vintage to carry the Masseto name followed in 1987.

After receiving a 100-point score in the 2001 vintage, Masseto’s reputation soared, and the wine is now fiercely sought after and scarce at release. The lucky and privileged few describe a wine of “immense power and concentration, supported by silky tannins and an exquisite texture.” Formerly made at the Ornellaia estate, a new winery dedicated to Masseto was inaugurated in 2019. This is to be welcomed – such a beguiling wine deserves its own home.

If Masseto has an equal – or rival – in Tuscany, it is undoubtedly Le Macchiole’s Messorio. Another of the region’s single-varietal wines, Messorio, is a complex and refined expression of Merlot. It mixes the best elements of Pomerol with the unique terroir of Bolgheri to spectacular effect. It has opulence; it has power; and, most importantly, it has structure and longevity. The wine was first released in 1994 – the name refers to the wheat harvest, one of the fundamental moments in the agricultural cycle – and has become a massive global success. Yet Merlot is notoriously difficult to produce as a single varietal, often ‘relegated’ to supplementing Cabernet Sauvignon’s (initial) austerity as a blending partner. But Messorio proves that Merlot can stand on its own two feet, particularly in Bolgheri’s majestic hills.

This is another of our favorite Super Tuscan wines. It is unique in so many ways – while many iconic Tuscan labels favor Bordeaux varieties, Bibi Graetz chose instead to champion old-vine Sangiovese. Bibi Graetz founded the property in 2000; coming from a family of artists, he had long been fascinated by what he considered the ultimate artistic expression: the coming together of soil, landscape, climate, and grape variety. Produced in a humble yet modern winery overlooking Florence’s gorgeous city, Colore combines old vines, meticulous attention to detail, and unique terroir. The result is unlike anything else in Tuscany. Red fruit cushions an extremely structured palate, with a mineral core that supports the soil’s most distinctive taste, as if mined from the earth’s bowels. Inimitable, prestigious, and made in small quantities, Colore is the oenophile’s dream.

The Antinori family has done it again. Matarocchio equals Ornellaia and Sassicaia, a wine of depth, complexity, and understated elegance. Piero Antinori’s mother inherited the estate, which Piero’s daughter Albiera and her sisters have lovingly restored over the decades. They fell in love with the property and its grand sweep of 320 hectares of vineyards in the most idyllic landscape imaginable. It’s all here: the rolling hills, cypress trees, and olive groves. The estate is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Vermentino, the latter in both white- and red-berried forms. Guado al Tasso makes a range of wines, none more lauded and loved than Matarocchio. A single-vineyard 100% Cabernet Franc wine, Matarocchio is the glorious combination of terroir and first-class winemaking.

First produced in 2007, the wine has gained weight and complexity as the vines have matured and as the team has come to understand this very special site. It bears more than a passing resemblance to Cheval Blanc, with a dense palate of black fruit and graphite, supported by elegant, sophisticated tannins. Approachable on release, Matarocchio is nevertheless built to last.

If Piero Antinori has an equal in the revolutionary vanguard of Chianti’s reawakening in the 1970s, it is undoubtedly Sergio Manetti. Sergio Manetti acquired Montevertine in 1967, initially as a country retreat, and planted his first vineyards there. Le Pergole Torte, first produced in 1977, was pure Sangiovese at a time when the Chianti rules would not accommodate it. Manetti left the Chianti appellation framework in the 1980s, which allowed him to pursue his vision of growing this variety to perfection. Sadly, Manetti has died, but his quest for supreme excellence continues. Indeed, Le Pergole Torte is a 100% Sangiovese wine like no other.

Its modern custodian is Sergio’s son Martino, whom winemaker Paolo Salvi supports. Produced in small quantities and harvested at meager yields, every vintage of Le Pergole Torte offers unsurpassed depth, concentration, and complexity. Wine critic Antonio Galloni describes the 2012 vintage as “bright, focused, and pulsing with energy.” A fitting eulogy to a remarkable wine.

When Mario Incisa della Rocchetta released the first commercial Sassicaia vintage in 1968, he catalyzed a striking revolution in local viticulture – little did he imagine that so many aspiring investors and winemakers would emulate his efforts. Castello del Terriccio is one such prime example of this trend. Success naturally breeds imitation, and this ancient estate found a new direction under the stewardship of Dr. Gian Annibale Rossi di Medelana Serafini Ferri. Dr. Ferri wanted to make a wine to rival Sassicaia, so he planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, and Merlot vines in the late 1980s in spectacular landscapes inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea. Sadly, Dr. Ferri died in 2019; however, his nephew Vittorio continued his fine work.

Their top cuvee, today Lupicaia, is based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot; Merlot appeared in earlier vintages. The wine is excellent – powerfully scented, structured, and impeccably balanced. Red fruit combines with spice and the aromas of forest floor and tobacco, always supported by supple tannins and fine acidity. If such evidence is needed, it is yet more proof that coastal Tuscany’s diverse terroirs have few peers.

We conclude with an exceptional example of the Super Tuscan genre. Wine has deep roots at Ama, although the estate’s modern fine-wine history is much more recent; it began after the current owners replanted the vineyards. Today, managed by Lorenza Sebasti and Marco Pallanti, the jewel in the crown is the Super Tuscan L’Apparita. First produced in 1985, it is a pure Merlot from two parcels at the top of Bellavista; the original vineyard was planted in 1975 and later regrafted to Merlot. The parcels are located on clay soils at the top of the legendary Bellavista vineyard – naturally conducive to low yields.

The terroir is perfect for crafting a distinctive, high-class Merlot of considerable charm and complexity. It undoubtedly recalls a top Pomerol, yet the Tuscan terroir’s uniqueness shines through. This small vineyard produces around 7,000 bottles, so obtaining a vintage is a tall order. For this reason, L’Apparita is made to be drunk, not invested in. Wines as rare and majestic as L’Apparita are too good to pass on.