Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC is a red wine grown in part of Castagneto Carducci in Livorno province on the Costa degli Etruschi (or Etruscan Coast in tourism-speak) in Tuscany. The DOC dates from 1994, and was last revised in 2015. The wine must be made from 80-100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 0-20% red grapes authorised for Tuscany.
Permitted other grapes Bonamico N. | Bracciola Nera N. | Cabernet Franc N. | Calabrese N. | Caloria N. | Canaiolo Nero N. | Canina Nera N. | Carignano N. | Carmenere N. | Cesanese D’Affile N. | Ciliegiolo N. | Colombana Nera. | Colorino N. | Foglia Tonda N. | Gamay N. | Groppello di Santo Stefano N. | Groppello Gentile N. | Lambrusco Maestri N. | Malbech N. | Malvasia N. | Malvasia Nera di Brindisi N. | Malvasia Nera di Lecce N. | Mammolo N. | Mazzese N. | Merlot N. | Mondeuse N. | Montepulciano N. | Petit verdot N. | Pinot Nero N. | Pollera Nera N. | Prugnolo Gentile N. | Pugnitello N. | Rebo N. | Refosco dal Peduncolo rosso N. | Sagrantino N. | Sanforte N. | Sangiovese N. | Schiava Gentile N. | Syrah N. | Tempranillo N. | Teroldego N. | Vermentino Nero N.
Terroir: Although in the context of the rather homogeneous territory of Castagneto Carducci, the DOC Bolgheri Sassicaia production area boasts pedoclimatic aspects and morphological characteristics of a good part of the lands destined to vineyards that differentiate them from the remaining territory of Bolgheri and that make them particularly suited for the production of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes. The risk of water stress in the summer is not high thanks to the particular texture of the soils where the clay component is well present, favoring a good vegetative-productive relationship of vine cultivation. The grassing in alternate rows practiced in this area is also made possible by the use of vigorous rootstocks not too limited. In this area late topping and excessive flaking are not practiced, allowing a greater shelter of the grapes. These characteristics, combined with the agronomic practices practiced by the company, give the wine its peculiar characteristics of elegance and freshness, as well as an olfactory profile reminiscent of the Mediterranean scrub that completely surrounds the wine plants of this area.
The suitability of the DOC Bolgheri Sassicaia wine production area is particularly oriented towards Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
Soils: A terraced landscape with straight slopes. Pleistocene sediments with shallow soils with a very evident skeleton («Sassicaia» means with a high quantity of stones present in the soil) with a clay-silty texture and with an imperfect internal drainage, from poorly to very calcareous, presence of iron oxide.
Viticulture: Emergency irrigation is allowed (annual rainfall is less than 600mm (200ml short for vines). Yields are limited to 7 tonnes per hectare (no more than 2kg of grapes on average per vine from vines planted at 3,500 per ha). New plantings at 4,000 vines per ha allow a yield of 1.8kg per hectare (7.2 tonnes per hectare if my maths is correct).
Winemaking: The wine must age 2 years of which 18m at least in French oak barrels. It can be released on 1st January. The wine can be bottled in these bottle sizes: 37.5cl, 75cl, 1.5 litre, 3 litres, 6 litres, 9 litres and 12 litres.
Wineries
No certification: Tenuta San Guido.