The 7 Best Super Tuscans We Tasted This Week

This IGT Tuscany wine was first made in 1980 and is the rare Super Tuscan made with 100 percent Sangiovese. The 2020 represents one of the last vintages made by the founder’s son, Paulo De Marchi, who left the estate when it changed hands in 2022. It is dark garnet to the eye and has aromas of Luxardo cherry, cocoa powder, dried Mediterranean herbs, and candied citrus that lead to flavors of dark plum, baking spices, chocolate, rose petal, and dried thyme all wrapped in a layer of opulent tannins.

Located on the northern coast of the Maremma, Tenuta Guado al Tasso can be found in the prestigious Bolgheri DOC just 60 miles from Florence, making it an easy day trip. The estate has 790 acres under vine and includes plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Vermentino. Their delicious Cont’Ugo is made with Merlot grapes grown at an altitude of 150 to 200 feet above sea level on clay and loam alluvial soils. The 2022 is garnet colored with aromas of anise, black licorice, red plum, and garrigue that lead to flavors of red raspberry, black currant, and Mission fig wrapped in a soft tannic sheath.

One of the founders of the Super Tuscan movement, Tenuta San Guido is best known for its famous Sassicaia wine. The name literally means “the place of many stones” and refers to the gravelly soils found in the vineyards. This remarkable wine has ethereal aromas of red plum, red raspberry, and dried Mediterranean herbs with soft, supple tannins and flavors of red plum, black cherry, and freshly roasted espresso bean.

Alessandro Landini planted the first vineyards in 2001 when he acquired the estate. It was purchased by Irish geologist Neil McMahon and his family in 2017 and currently comprises 34 acres located around the Greppi Cupi Lake. Dr. McMahon works directly with researchers at the University of California, Davis, and is involved in the development of an analytical laboratory on the property. His 2021 Greppicaia has aromas of dark cherry, tobacco leaf, and plum with pleasantly grippy tannins and flavors of red currant, black plum, and a touch of vanilla in the finish.

The occupants of the Bolgheri Castle have been involved in local winemaking since the 1400s, and its cellar from the late 1800s is one of the oldest in the area. The present owner is Federico Zileri Dal Verme, who, with the help of his father Clemente and mother Franca, began planting more vineyards in 1996 to bring the current total to 135 acres. His 2021 Bolgheri Superiore has aromas of red cherry, black currant, and a touch of lifted eucalyptus with chewy tannins and flavors of red plum, dried fig, and black cherry.

Located in the small town of Riparbella, perched on a cliff above coastal Maremma, DueMani is a small winery owned by Elena Celli and Luca D’Attoma. The name derives from the Italian words due and mani for “two hands.” Now a winemaker, Luca is best known for consulting for Le Macchiole for over 25 years. Elena and Luca’s 100 percent Syrah named Suisassi is inky purple in the glass with aromas of crushed violet petals, black licorice, black berries, and sweet baking spices that transition to the same flavors in the mouth but luxuriously enveloped in a silky tannic sheath.

Named for ancient Etruscan silver mines unearthed in the area, Argentiera is located at the southern extent of the Castagneto Carducci area in the Bolgheri DOC. The entire estate covers 378 acres, with 210 of those under vine and the remaining acreage covered with trees that process carbon dioxide and release oxygen, which benefits the rich biodiversity of animals and insects found on the property. Argentiera’s Donoratico Bordeaux-style red blend is composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot; it has aromas of ripe red and black fruits with just a whiff of cedar and tobacco leaf that transition to flavors of black raspberry, red plum, cassis, and graphite on the palate.