LUXURY HOLIDAYS
Sumptuous castles that dominate the Tuscan countryside from above, beautiful resorts overlooking the amazing sea of the Tyrrhenian coast, impeccable wine resorts surrounded by boundless expanses of vineyards: there are numerous exclusive locations in which to spend your next luxury holiday in Tuscany.
From Chianti to Versilia, from Florence to Val d’Orcia, the different faces of the region are the setting for luxury resorts, exclusive relais and charming residences; structures that accompany the continuous pursuit of excellence with an unparalleled point of view on the beautiful Tuscan landscapes.
The hotels in our collection will be able to offer you large suites equipped with every comfort, impeccable service and sumptuous 5-star attention. But what will really captivate you about these pearls of hospitality will be the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the regional culture, experience local customs and experience the flavors of Tuscan cuisine.
Walking through the alleys of an ancient medieval village, visiting the most prestigious wineries in the world, savoring the gourmet proposals of the great local chefs, you will experience the now forgotten amazement of discovery. It is precisely through the senses that you will understand that true luxury is the authentic experience of the destination.
TUSCANY LUXURY GUIDE
Tuscany probably boasts the most popular country houses in the world; it is therefore not surprising that its luxury real estate market is characterized by rustic properties. Buying a farmhouse overlooking the green hills and cypresses has been a shared choice with wealthy international customers for almost forty years, and it is likely that it will remain so for a long time. Cradle of the Italian Renaissance, Tuscany has numerous cities ideal for the search for a luxury home: from Florence and its immense artistic and architectural heritage, to Pisa and the bowed tower passing through Lucca and its preserved historic center, without forgetting the medieval Siena and the towers of San Gimignano. Chianti is a very famous place thanks to the wine production, together with Montalcino and Montepulciano. You can enjoy the well-being and delicious local cuisine in your future castle surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. The northern part of Tuscany is home to the majority of the most exclusive villas on the coast, including Forte dei Marmi, the queen of nightlife. The south hides a real jewel, the Monte Argentario peninsula, which you can admire from the terraces of the prestigious properties. Close to the latter, the quiet Island of Elba offers numerous bays not to be missed.
FLORENCE, CRADLE OF THE RENAISSANCE
Florence is one of the best known cities in the world. It has been the cradle of culture and art for many years; in Florence many of the greatest artists of the Renaissance and of all human history were born or worked. Thanks to their works every year hundreds of thousands of tourists choose the Tuscan capital as a destination for their holidays. Viewed from above, Florence appears superb, beautiful, almost asleep by time. Incredibly rich in history and culture, the city immediately captures the imagination of those who visit it, with the streets overlooked by imposing buildings, the alleys, the slow flow of the Arno, the crowded squares and the great museums. Florence must be lived with passion and calm to be understood. Surrounded by the hills of Settignano, Fiesole, Careggi, Arcetri and Bellosguardo, the city today lives mainly from tourism, although it has other economic activities such as textile, optical, pharmaceutical industries and a discreet craftsmanship (lace, goldsmithing, straw processing. and production of leather goods). Seat of a famous and historic university, Florence is today also synonymous with research and science, with the development of two important areas, the Sesto Fiorentino Scientific Center and the National Research Council; there are also many historical libraries and numerous prestigious higher education institutes.
Florence Cradle of the Italian Renaissance
Historic Florence is included in a fairly compact area, so much so that the main places of interest can be reached on foot. Piazza del Duomo is still today its most representative center, the ideal starting point for a visit to the city. Florence, cradle of the Italian Renaissance, on the political, economic and cultural level was the most important city in Europe for over two centuries, from 1300 to 1550. It was the Florentines who reinvented “money” – in the form of the florin. gold – and Florence was the engine that drove Europe out of the dark period of the Middle Ages. It was the Florentine bankers, in those fortunate centuries, who partly financed the economic development of half of Europe, from Great Britain to Bruges, Lyon and Central Eastern Europe. Thanks to the great Florentine writers of the past such as Dante, Petrarca, Boccaccio, the use of the Tuscan vernacular became the basis of the modern Italian language. Art found here such a rich humus that we witnessed a cultural, artistic and scientific flowering never known to the world before and subsequently never re-proposed. The man placed at the center of the world, the man who is the architect of his destiny. The atmosphere of Renaissance Florence was incredible, the optimism, the hope and the strength behind every idea.
The Age of Discovery, likewise, seems to have begun once again in Florence. Florentine banks were able to finance Portuguese explorers in Africa and the Far East. A Florentine, Amerigo Vespucci, gave his name to the American continent. Prominent personalities such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Brunelleschi, Machiavelli contributed in an invaluable way to giving the world a new artistic, architectural, political and geographical order. Great was the contribution made to Florence by the de ‘Medici family, which through its decisions influenced the entire European history of the period. Alongside their role as patrons of the arts and sciences, the Medici were also skilled statesmen and politicians, capable of influencing the fate of other kingdoms in Europe. Caterina de Medici, Lorenzo known as the Magnificent and the great dean of the family, Cosimo the Elder, are just some of the names that have forever linked the name of the family to Florence. We must add to these names that of Anna Maria Luisa Medici, who with a political gesture of her saved forever the memory of Florence to the Florentines. The last heir of the glorious family, in fact, in 1737 stipulated with her successors (the Habsburg-Lorraine), the so-called “Family Pact”.
With which it was established that they could not transport “or remove them outside the capital and the state of the Grand Duchy … Public and to attract the curiosity of foreigners “. This pact was respected by the Habsburg-Lorraine, and allowed Florence not to lose any work of art and thus preserve its heritage intact (as had happened to other Italian cities such as Mantua or Urbino, that the extinction of the Gonzaga family or of the Della Rovere family had been robbed of artistic and cultural treasures, which ended up in other European cities and courts). While a large part of the city still retains a Renaissance aspect, the area between Palazzo Vecchio and the Duomo projects the tourist into a typically medieval atmosphere. For centuries, together with Piazza della Signoria, these have been the true heart of the political and social life of the city.
Museums to visit in Florence
And it is also the same for its museums: the Uffizi Gallery, Pitti Palace, the Bargello Palace, the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Opera del Duomo museum; the libraries: Laurenziana, Riccardiana, Marucelliana, Nazionale Centrale; the academies: della Crusca, Cimento, Colombaria; last but not least, the gardens: the gigantic and monumental Boboli Gardens, a true open-air museum and the city park, the Cascine, a favorite place for those who play sports and an evocative setting for many shows in the summer. The religious monuments make up a large artistic complex: the Cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore), surmounted by the immense dome by Brunelleschi and by Giotto’s bell tower, which houses a Pietà by Michelangelo; the Baptistery with the bronze doors by Ghiberti and Andrea Pisano; Santa Maria Novella; Santa Croce, where there are the tombs of great Italians such as Machiavelli, Michelangelo, Galileo, Foscolo, Rossini. And how not to mention the church of San Lorenzo with the sacristies of Brunelleschi and Michelangelo . Civil architecture has likewise expressed itself in grandiose works, just to mention a few: Palazzo Vecchio, the Loggia dell’Orcagna, the Spedale degli Innocenti (Brunelleschi) with an elegant loggia, the Medici palaces, Palazzo Pitti (painting gallery), the Uffizi Gallery (by Vasari) and the Ponte Vecchio, characteristic for its double row of exclusive goldsmith shops (16th century). If you have time, visit the less touristy districts, such as those of Santa Croce and San Niccolò.
The first remains one of the oldest districts of the city, founded in the sixth century by some Benedictine nuns who had the opportunity to build a monastery here.
Both districts hide the typical melting pot of clubs, cafes, bars, restaurants, bookshops, the latest trend, such as those in the Sant’Ambrogio area, with the large colorful open-air market in the morning. The art galleries, located in the lower floors of ancient aristocratic palaces such as Palazzo Bardini or Palazzo Canegiani, do not go unnoticed, while the sounds of the wood and leather artisan shops still continue to echo as they once did.
Demonstrations and Events Florence
During the year in Florence there are also many cultural events and events of various kinds. Among these we remember: in Piazza del Duomo, at Easter, the Explosion of the cart, with fireworks lit by the “colombina”, together with a small rocket that starts from the Altar Maggiore. But also the Feast of San Giovanni on June 24, which celebrates the patron saint, with processions and fireworks; the Maggio Fiorentino, which is one of the most important classical music and dance festivals in Europe;
Pitti Moda, for many years a renowned appointment with a series of fashion shows dedicated to men, women and children (from June to September at Palazzo Pitti). Do not forget the Florentine football, a historic appointment, in June, in Piazza Santa Croce: the teams of four Florentine neighborhoods compete in sixteenth-century costumes in a tournament with few rules where fights on and off the field are the order of the day.
Florentine gastronomy.
Finally, the Florentine gastronomy. Typical appetizers are croutons with rabbit liver and fettunta, a slice of bread flavored with Tuscan salt and oil. The delicious Tuscan cold cuts are, on the other hand, accompanied by the famous bland bread. Among the most representative first courses of Florentine cuisine we find pappa col pomodoro and ribollita. Garlic, oil, chilli, tomato pulp and stale bread: these are the basic ingredients of the “pappa”. Ribollita, on the other hand, is a soup of vegetables and stale bread, which is cooked the day before and heated only before being served. Among the main courses, the Florentine steak stands out, famous all over the world. It is a rib of beef of excellent quality, 5-6 cm high, which is cooked on the grill for 5 minutes per side, leaving the inside to the blood. In restaurants, second courses such as tripe with sauce and lampredotto are often offered. The typical sweets of Florence are: the castagnaccio, made with chestnut flour, and the flattened Florentine style. Among the numerous Tuscan PDO and PGI products: Colonnata lard, Tuscan ham, Garfagnana spelled, Tuscan pecorino, Lunigiana honey, Chianti oil, Panforte, Ricciarelli, Cinta Senese etc. Also worthy of mention are the great Tuscan wines Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti.
The Elegance and Prestige of a Stay in Tuscany
Tuscany, a riot of exclusive locations, is perfect for spending a stay between luxury and elegance with your family, friends or special someone. It is a place where you surround yourself with colors, with an architecture as varied as it is unique in its kind, with an artistic and food and wine culture, with centuries-old traditions that still keep alive the spirit and identity of this region. To this, we must add the delicious food, the excellent wine and the centuries-old tradition of hospitality that characterizes it.
Daydreaming of the perfect holiday with panoramic sunsets, staying in a luxury hotel with wellness center or in a villa resort with fabulous services and comforts and luxurious furnishings … it will become reality right here in Tuscany!
Journey through the elegance and luxury of Tuscany
Exclusive, prestigious and elegant accommodations, inserted in equally sumptuous and imposing sumptuous contexts, such as ancient castles and majestic palaces, traditional farmhouses transformed into sumptuous and characteristic resorts. Even for a few days, treat yourself to the luxury of a holiday in a 5-star hotel, in a charming and characteristic B&B with an elegant and refined style, or in an exclusive villa surrounded by the rare beauty that characterizes the region of Tuscany.
Ancient castles in Tuscany
The Casentino Valley, a place rich in art, history, local specialties and enchanting landscapes to be discovered. Located about 50 kilometers east of Florence, this valley offers endless opportunities for all tastes and all ages: from medieval castles to visit, to trekking excursions through the centuries-old forests that surround it, to culinary delights to taste, to fascinating secrets. to discover about local traditions and anecdotes. Discover with us the Casentino Valley and the countless opportunities that this area offers, you will not be disappointed!
Among the many places to visit in Casentino, we anticipate just a few, including the Castles of Poppi, Romena and Porciano, the Franciscan Sanctuary of La Verna, the monastery of Camaldoli, the zoo of Poppi and the towns of Stia, Pratovecchio and Castel San Niccolò.
Itinerary in the Casentino Valley
If you follow the traces of ancient castles, Romanesque churches, picturesque medieval villages and pilgrimages to spiritual realities whose existence is almost unknown, you will discover a Tuscany full of surprises, legacies of an unparalleled historical and traditional heritage. Follow us to discover the Casentino Valley through the itinerary that we propose in this article.
Casentino, brief introduction
The Casentino valley, rich in history, art, excellent food and outdoor activities, is the perfect destination for those who want to spend a full immersion holiday in Tuscany. About 50 kilometers from the center of Florence, this isolated valley offers opportunities for recreation for all ages: castles to visit, excursions into ancient forests, tasting of typical dishes and little secrets to steal from the inhabitants about the stories that surround these places.
Poppi Castle in Tuscany, a real surprise
Poppi Castle in Casentino, Tuscany, is an interesting place to visit for tourists of all ages. Intrigues and mysterious legends, adventures in the surrounding woods and relaxation with excellent local food, surrounded by a typically Tuscan atmosphere: this is the castle of Poppi.
Traditional Tuscan recipes with potatoes
Potatoes have been the food consumed for generations and generations of Tuscans, especially during the toughest and most difficult periods, and today they have become part of traditional menus with delicious and typical recipes: from tortelli to bread, from sausages to side dishes, even some beers are made with potatoes!
EATING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE IN TUSCANY.
A guide to restaurants surrounded by vegetable gardens and gardens
The Italian summer is not just the sea. Many this year will seek refuge in the mountains, but also brief moments of escape in the countryside, after so many weeks forced into the house. Which means giving breath to the farm sector, so bent by the losses of the spring season, but also aiming without fail at restaurants surrounded by greenery, with a view as far as the eye can see on the Italian countryside (with the added pleasure of discovering villages of yesteryear). Among the best known landscapes of this rural geography are the Tuscan hills of Chianti, Siena and Florence. And more generally the pristine natural areas of the regional hinterland. Here is a selection of the best places to eat in the Tuscan countryside.
Step by step to the Relais Riserva di Fizzano (Castellina in Chianti, SI)
Let’s start with a post lockdown novelty, finding Maurizio Bardotti at the helm of the new open restaurant, in Castellina in Chianti, inside the Relais Riserva di Fizzano, the result of the recovery of an ancient medieval village surrounded by vineyards and olive trees, by the Zingarelli family. , owner of the Rocca delle Macia wine estate. The Tuscan chef has already had the opportunity to make himself known in the Sienese countryside, the newly inaugurated Osteria aims to enhance the products of the garden, in the light of a reinterpretation of Tuscan cuisine. Open for dinner from Wednesday to Sunday, on weekends it also opens for lunch; from the tasting menu (45 euros, 5 courses), egg poche with pecorino, truffle and spinach, celery gnudi, goose and parmesan, and duck leg stuffed with sausage and chard, honey, hazelnuts, onion with Alchermes. From the menu, 5 proposals per race, with many selected local ingredients.
After work La Foce (Pienza, SI)
The well-kept garden welcomes guests in an almost timeless atmosphere, for the time of a lunch, a snack, a dinner. You eat outdoors, in the dining room or under the patio, but only on weekends, from Friday to Saturday. The project, born several years ago, is the result of the intention to add more souls in a single, evocative countryside area, offshoot of Villa La Foce, a historic residence now open to the public, with its gardens. From gastronomy, there is space for cold cuts (Macelleria Belli) and cheeses (Caseificio Cugusi), then Tuscan cicchetti, panzanella, marrow in the bone served with fresh spring onions, lemon and croutons. And fresh pasta, soups or burgers from Chianina del Dopolavoro.
Podere il Casale (Pienza, SI)
At Podere il Casale, with an incredible terrace overlooking the Pienza countryside, the farmer’s market is staged every Saturday morning; while Sunday is the day of the barbecue. But the organic restaurant of the farm founded by Sandra and Ulysses in the early nineties is open every day. The farm produces goat and sheep cheeses from raw milk, cereals, saffron, oil and wine from organic agriculture. At the table, you can start with a platter of homemade cold cuts, cheeses and pickles, pork liver pate with sage bread and cherry jam, zucchini alla scapece with sheep’s milk ricotta. Then homemade pici with pork stew, goat tortelli in vegetable soup, low-temperature cooked kid or suckling pig in the oven (but there is also the vegetarian alternative, which brings the vegetable garden to your plate). Finally, homemade cantucci or panzanella with apricots and sorrel. A peasant menu, at affordable prices.
Creta Osteria (Manzano, AR)
At Tenuta Tenimenti d’Alessandro, the Sunday of Osteria Creta also means gourmet picnic, with the possibility of eating on a tablecloth spread out in the park of the Borgo Syrah Resort, pampered by the food prepared in the kitchen and collected in the classic basket. 30 euros per person, with a bottle of wine included in the price, to discover a different menu every week, including boiled meat croquettes with herb mayonnaise, macaroni omelette, mini cutlets in onion sauce, salami and pecorino bread, cherry clafoutis . But at the Osteria table, open from Friday to Sunday, there is also a tasting dedicated to under 35s (three courses and three wines for 35 euros), in addition to the traditional menu with the chef’s creations. You can also eat outdoors, in the beautiful outdoor courtyard.
Il Pievano at the Spaltenna Castle (Gaiole in Chianti, SI)
The castle dedicated to exclusive hospitality in the Chianti di Gaiole reopens on 25 June. A year ago, the talented Stelios Sakalis arrived at the helm of the Spaltenna restaurant. And also the restaurant will pick up where we left it, proposing a creative reinterpretation of local dishes and beyond (there is also the Lunch by the sea with a view of Chianti): chicken alla cacciatora with Laura Peri’s Valdarno meat and organic carrots , raw boiled meat San Giovannese style (with Simone Fracassi Chianina tartare), tortelli in Cinta Senese ham and melon broth, carrier pigeon 1496 km. Three tasting menus: Territory and Origins (90 euros) and Experience (120).
Osteria le Panzanelle (Radda in Chianti, SI)
It is not surrounded by hectares of owned land, but it has all the credentials to remember the perfect country inn, on the road that leads from Panzano to Radda. In the summer you can eat in the beautiful garden on the street, the cuisine is that of peasant Tuscany: liver crostini and cold cuts, pappardelle with wild boar, pappa al pomodoro, gnudi; and then mixed fried chicken and rabbit, Florentine steak, wild boar with olives. Warm service, bill around 30 euros (drinks not included).
Fighine Castle (San Casciano dei Bagni, SI)
In the village of Fighine, the historic nucleus of the Sienese hills built around the 11th century castle of the same name, now transformed into an exclusive resort, the restaurant that can avail itself of the supervision of Heinz Beck reopened in mid-June. In the kitchen there is always Antonio Romano, a disciple of the German super chef based in Rome. And you can also eat on the panoramic terrace, among roses and wisteria, choosing from land or sea proposals, including a matured Chianina entrecote and scallops with artichokes and black summer truffle; there is also a wide range of vegetable dishes, with the enhancement of local raw materials. Two tasting menus are also available, with 5 and 7 courses (the longest offered at 95 euros).
Vitique (Greve in Chianti, FI)
Restaurant and bistro that arose as ribs of the experience at the Santa Margherita Tenimenti Toscani winery, Vitique knows how to offer research or a contemporary cuisine more linked to the territory, which is appreciated all around the estate. The restaurant menu also offers three tasting itineraries (60 and 75 euros), the bistro, on the other hand, open only for lunch, invites you to a more agile experience, with the midday proposals: cheeses and cured meats from the Falorni butcher’s, paccheri with ragù white rabbit, lemon and thyme, risotto with saffron pistils and vinsanto, grilled fillet of beef.
Tenuta Le Tre Virtù (Scarperia and San Piero a Sieve, FI)
In the Mugello Natural Park, the Le Tre Virtù resort is a project started about ten years ago by Valentina Sabatini and Christian Priami, starting with the recovery of a late eighteenth-century village. Today it is a luxury farmhouse in the less touristy Tuscany, complete with a Virtuoso restaurant, led by Antonello Sardi. This summer, the coordinated offer from the kitchen also includes a gourmet picnic (90 euros) set up in the garden, among the olive trees or by the pool, according to the wishes of the guests. Only for lunch on weekends, each station bears the name of a popular game, available to the table (darts, game of goose, bowls …). The dishes are selected from the restaurant menu (which instead remains open in the evening): veal tongue with Viareggio prawn, citrus fruit, parsley and celery; beetroot and goat cheese; pigeon cappelletti with its stock, butter and thyme; suckling pig in porchetta with apples from Mugello and much more.
Podere Belvedere (Pontassieve, FI)
In the Chianti Rufina countryside, in a thirteenth-century tower house, Edoardo Tilli and his wife Klo, both young and motivated, welcome guests in a refined rural restaurant (you can also sleep in the renovated old stables). Around there are over 7 hectares of land and pastures, while the kitchen moves between memory and the desire to experiment, indulging a passion for embers. From the menu, velvety wild herbs, tortello stuffed with potatoes in ashes and chef’s ragù, mallard with potato cream and lime red barbine salad, hare with chard and wild rocket. Two tasting menus are also available, with 7 and 10 courses (at 75 and 95 euros). For lunch only on weekends, even in the beautiful garden overlooking the hills.
Sustainable Restaurant Rooms, Relais Poggio ai Santi (San Vincenzo, LI)
A curious novelty in the hinterland of San Vincenzo, already famous for the gastronomic destinations that dot the coast, first of all Il Bucaniere di Fulvietto Pierangelini. Inside the estate, which offers an expanse of vegetable gardens and Mediterranean scrub, with a view that sweeps down to the sea, the Sale restaurant has changed its soul and guide, without prejudice to the focus on enhancing the products of the earth. Shimpei Moriyama (former chef of Saketeca and second of Takeshi Iwai in Cascina Guzzafame) and his wife Sayuri arrived from Milan, who now take care of the kitchen, enhancing the company’s organic vegetables and meats (even the dessert is a tiramisu with fresh peas of the garden); but also the fish comes from a small cooperative of local fishermen, as well as the mussels, from the gulf of Piombino. The activity really began after the lockdown and will find definition in the coming months, alongside the offer of the equally curious agricultural bar, where cocktails are made using herbs from the garden. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, with a nice outdoor space for dining.
Piatina Farmhouse (Monte Antico, GR)
From the recovery of a former convent dating back to the early fifteenth century, Agriturismo Piatina now offers hospitality in the Tuscan Maremma, on the farm surrounded by about 160 hectares of cultivated land for the breeding of pigs, cattle and horses. You can also arrive just for a lunch in the garden, enjoying the typical Maremma cuisine, with raw materials produced on the farm and game: vegetable soups, homemade pasta (pici, tagliatelle, gnocchi), roasts and sauces for hunting meats, and a wide choice of homemade desserts, including cantucci.
Al 588 (Bagno a Ripoli, FI)
The Al 588 restaurant, not far from Florence, is in a countryside just outside the city. The setting, however, is that of a beautiful farmhouse surrounded by greenery, with a swimming pool and views of the Florentine hills. In the kitchen there is the young Andrea Perini, who is also the creator of the project born inside Borgo i Vicelli (resort with hospitality) and for the summer he also proposes the tapas and cocktails initiative in the pool, every Sunday, at sunset. At lunch, on the other hand, the situation is more relaxed, and you eat outdoors, choosing from the menu that is divided into selected extra virgin olive oils from around Italy. Between a celery salad with bay leaf mayonnaise nerves and crispy chickpeas and a terrine of liver, with grilled bread, chicken broth, vinsanto and capers, some chard spatzle, fresh marinated onions, polenta foam and citrus powder and a quail cooked twice, mashed with oil, cream of wild radicchio and long-stemmed cherries of lari. Two tasting itineraries at 50 and 70 euros (4 and 6 courses).
BOLGHERI SASSICAIA
TASTING NOTES
Bolgheri Sassicaia is one of the most famous Italian red wines in the world. Produced in the Tenuta di San Guido, in the Bolgheri area, in Tuscany, it was born from the intuition of a man: Mario Inciso della Rocchetta. Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, returning from the Great War, he had the opportunity to study at the University of Agriculture of Pisa and, passionate about viticulture, he became interested in the world of wine following in the footsteps of his paternal grandfather, also passionate and scholar. Another great passion of the Marquis is the equestrian world: often riding inside the Tenuta di San Rossore in Pisa he gets to know the Gherardesca family. So in 1930 he married Clarice della Gherardesca, who brought Tenuta San Guido as a dowry. Precisely in the gentle slopes overlooking the sea, covered by the Mediterranean scrub, he will recognize a soil similar to that of Bordelaise, from which some of the greatest French red wines come from. Thus began his dream, that is to produce a purebred wine, almost of equal value to his horse Ribot, a great gallop racing champion. Along these gentle slopes he decides to plant Cabernet cuttings, then stumbling upon a stony soil, a stony ground, from which the wine took its name. Until 1972 the wine produced was intended for the exclusive consumption of the family; then the turning point came, when the Marquis decided to collaborate with the oenologist Giacomo Tachis, also by virtue of the commercial agreements made for the marketing of Sassicaia. The first Sassicaia label was then produced in 1972: a blend of different vintages ranging from 1965 to 1969, then joined on the label under the date 1968, and with the symbol that will become an icon of the winery, or the wind rose now on blue background. Subsequently with the 1972 vintage this wine won international recognition, beating the best wines produced with Cabernet in the world.
Since then Sassicaia has been one of the most important Italian wines on the international market, so much so that in 1994 a Doc reserved exclusively for that wine of that company was dedicated to it.The Bolgheri Sassicaia Doc is produced with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc . Refines for 24 months in French oak barriques, with subsequent stop in the bottle. In the glass it appears of an intense ruby red color, with garnet hues if from some previous harvest. The nose immediately expresses fruity notes of ripe cherries, black currants and blackberries, flanked by hints of the Mediterranean scrub, such as rosemary, and a potpourri of dried flowers, tobacco and cocoa. In the mouth it is balanced and harmonious, elegant with its well integrated tannins and the freshness that make it full. It amazes for its persistence. Sassicaia is a wine that does not fear time, on the contrary, it benefits from it. Ideal for special occasions, it goes well with refined main courses of red meats or game.
SASSICAIA WINERY
Tenuta San Guido boasts an ancient history. Suffice it to say that it owes its name to San Guido della Gherardesca: a name linked for centuries to the territory in which it stands. It is located in Tuscany, in the Maremma area, between Livorno and Grosseto and not far from the Etruscan coast. That same area that has always enchanted poets and artists of all kinds, and that Giosuè Carducci has made famous among lovers of literature; but it is also the area where the Tuscan winemaking tradition has been carried on for centuries, with passion and dedication. Since its foundation, the winery has set itself the delicate objective of telling the land to which it belongs by producing Tuscan wines of the highest quality, with the best grapes and the most ancient knowledge. The desire to create a wine with excellent raw materials, the desire to represent Tuscany in the world and the passion for the territory can be found in every glass of the final product. The hectares available to the estate are bred with different strains, including Sassiccaia and Bolgheri. Name and address of producer / distributor: Tenuta San Guido – Loc. Le Capanne, 27, 57022 Bolgheri (LI). The products of this winery must be stored in a cool and dry place away from heat sources.
The wines of Castello di Bolgheri
History and the terroir of Castello di Bolgheri
Bolgheri Castle is located in the municipality of Castagneto Carducci, in the province of Livorno, an imposing manor that rises scenically at the end of the famous Viale dei Cipressi, which the poet Gesuè Carducci praised in the famous poem “Davanti a San Guido”.
The Castle, currently owned by the Conti Zileri Dal Verme family, once belonged to the Conti della Gherardesca family, from the thirteenth century until 1895, has been placed on several occasions for restorations and improvements both for the building, and later for the construction of the cellars.
In addition to a structural and corporate renewal, all this led to an accumulation of styles, from Gothic to Neo-Gothic through the Renaissance.
Castello di Bolgheri wines are produced thanks to the agronomic work of Federico Zileri Dal Verme and the oenological consultancy of Alessandro Dondi and have an annual production of about 100,000 bottles.