Tenuta San Guido Le Difese Toscana 2021
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Bright red with purple nuances. Respectable acidity and PH and a beautiful balance of musts that are well structured but harmonious and fruity. Blending wines with a non-invasive structure, a good balance in terms of acidity and density of the wine, combined with soft and well-integrated tannins. Beautiful spiciness. A pleasant palate of every day wine drinking, with juicy red fruits. A very good wine that is meant to be enjoyed young.
Pair with grilled steak or steak salad, hamburgers and other casual but flavorful beef dishes. Has good acidity to compliment marinara and bolognese sauces.
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Le Difese in 2021 sports a majority of Sangiovese – 55% – in a break from the traditional 70/30 split in favour of Cabernet Sauvignon. Third-generation at Tenuta San Guido, Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta, explained that this decision was made to enhance the wine's 'local Tuscan' character, and to improve its drinkability early on as 'a first step into the Tenuta San Guido world.' While the Cabernet is grown on the estate, the Sangiovese is sourced, as always, from long–term partners based in Chianti Rufina. Bright, incredibly vibrant red, black and blue fruits introduce subtle, finely grained tannins with notes of wood and chocolate. It's at once juicy, tangy and crunchy, with good ripeness and great acidity. Matured for eight months in used barriques.
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The Tenuta San Guido is a 7,500-acre estate located in the province of Livorno on the western coastal outskirts of Tuscany near the village of Bolgheri. Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta acquired it through his marriage to Clarice della Gherardesca in 1940.
The legacy of Sassicaia began in 1944, when Mario Incisa acquired a number of Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc vine cuttings and planted them on a sloping hillside of the San Guido estate, called Castiglioncello after the 11th-century castle at the vineyard's upper edge. This tiny, 3.75-acre vineyard stood alone until 1965, when a second Cabernet vineyard was planted with cuttings from the Castiglioncello parcel; the gravelly, 30-acre plot would give the wine its name: Sassicaia, "the place of many stones".
With the radical changes in the D.O.C. system of regulations as of the 1994 vintage, Sassicaia's extraordinary reputation was acknowledged through the Italian government's granting the wine its own appellation.
Sassicaia is today considered to be the new plus ultra of Italy's great red wines for its consistent excellence and its intuitive spirit. Acclaimed by the wine world's most respected voices, Sassicaia remains the legacy of its creator, Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, and his son, Marchese Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta.
Legendary in Italy for its Renaissance art and striking landscape, Tuscany is also home to many of the country’s best red wines. Sangiovese reigns supreme here, as either the single varietal, or a dominant player, in almost all of Tuscany’s best.
A remarkable Chianti, named for its region of origin, will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and plenty of cherry fruit character. From the hills and valleys surrounding the medieval village of Montalcino, come the distinguished and age-worthy wines based on Brunello (Sangiovese). Earning global acclaim since the 1970s, the Tuscan Blends are composed solely of international grape varieties or a mix of international and Sangiovese. The wine called Vine Nobile di Montepulciano, composed of Prognolo Gentile (Sangiovese) and is recognized both for finesse and power.