Winemaker Notes
Blend: 50% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Sangiovese
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A juicy and round young Bolgheri red with redcurrants, hints of sage and basil and some stony undertones. It's full and layered with medium, round tannins and a delicious finish. Give this two or three years to come completely together, but I already like the energy here.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Le Pieve is a bright ruby/magenta color and leads with fruity and minty aromas that lift from the glass, revealing notes of red plum, pie spice, forest floor, and menthol. Full-bodied, it has balanced ripeness and a lift of savory acidity, plush tannins, and a clean finish with a chocolaty texture. It’s going to show its best over the next 7-8 years.
Disenchanted with Italian winemaking laws in the 1970s, a few rebellious Tuscan winemakers decided to get creative. Instead of following tradition, to bottle Sangiovese by itself, they started blending it with international varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah in differing proportions and with amazing success. However, some Tuscan Blends don’t even include Sangiovese. Somm Secret—The suffix –aia in Italian modifies a word in much the same way –y acts in English. For example, a place with many stones (sassi) becomes Sassicaia. While not all Super Tuscan producer names end in –aia, they all share a certain coy nomenclature.
An outstanding wine region made famous by Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who planted Cabernet Sauvignon vines for his own consumption in 1940s on his San Guido estate, and called the resulting wine, Sassicaia. Today the region’s Tuscan reds are based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which can be made as single varietal wines or blends. The local Sangiovese can make up no more than 50% of the blends. Today Sassicaia has its own DOC designation within the Bogheri DOC appellation.