February 18, 2008
Super-Tuscans 2004: d'Alceo to Sassicaia

A Note from Sergio Super-Tuscan 2004 Sampler Castello dei Rampolla San Giusto a Rentennano Fontodi

Tenuta San Guido Vintage Values Sampler IWM Wine Experiences Jay McInerney on    Passion on the Vine

A Note from Sergio
Last week, in response to many of my clients’ queries, I reran one of my favorite pieces from a couple of years ago; this week, I have chosen to do the same. I’ve selected a piece from July of 2006 partially because people always ask me what my favorite columns have been, but mostly I’m featuring it because it shows exactly what is so super about the Super-Tuscans: Italy—and its wine—have a very unusual history.

People new to Italian wine sometimes wonder about the term Super-Tuscan. It is a funny term, one that brings to mind a character in a cape and tights. Those who know Italian wine recognize the term as one invented in the 1970s to circumvent the criteria needed for the official Italian wine classifications of DOC or DOCG. A “Super-Tuscan” of that time period would have been a wine that may not have been made according to the specific standards of DOC or DOCG, but was nevertheless a tremendous wine. Today, the Super-Tuscans have their own classification, IGT, and they remain tremendous, although they too have changed.

More important than the genesis of the term Super-Tuscan is the history of Italian wine, a history that is inextricable from the history of Italy itself. The piece I chose for today illustrates how drinking a glass of a Super-Tuscan is like drinking a glass of history, for in very heartfelt and profound ways, the past and the present can collide in a glass of Italian wine.

In celebration of the Super-Tuscans and the people who have produced them, we’re proud to offer a set of six 2004 Super-Tuscans.

My best,
Sergio Esposito

For more accounts of Italian wine, food and life reserve my new book:
Passion On The Vine: a Memoir of Food, Wine, and Family in the Heart of Italy

Super Tuscan Sampler: Staples for 2004

This consummate sampler captures the dynamic evolution of the Super-Tuscan genre through its pioneers, cult wonders, and models of consistency. While any celebrated gathering of these luminaries is prized, we’re showcasing them here in the context of the 2004 vintage—an exceptional year that is noted for its finesse, elegance, and structure. Mother Nature blessed this vintage with a long growing season, affording the grapes the luxury of a delayed harvest (15 to 20 days), which allowed them to achieve an ideal state of ripeness coupled with a complementary structure.  This is a dramatic departure from both the 2002 and 2003 vintages, and truly represents the vintage we have been waiting for….

We begin with the category pioneer—Sassicaia, presented here with another blue-chip staple, Ornellaia. Of special note is that Ornellaia, which is available only in very limited quantities. But it is Sassicaia that has captured our rapt attention, realizing a form that renders it strikingly akin to its renowned 1988 expression. There are also the cult wonders—d’Alceo and Percarlo—the limited supply of which inspires an immediate sense of urgency. While d’Alceo’s signature opulence has been refined in 2004, its concentration remains unrivaled by that achieved by any other. The rich expression of Sangiovese demonstrated by San Giusto a Rentennano’s Percarlo endows it with similar allure.

The veterans, Sammarco and Flaccianello, continue to achieve outstanding levels of consistency. Though d’Alceo may be the wonder child of Castello dei Rampolla, Sammarco was first born, and it remains a staple for steadfast and serious collectors of Italian wine. Intriguingly, the ’04 Flaccianello exhibits its most conservative and structured personality yet: This wine might just represent the wine of longevity in this sampler. 

The quality and reputation of the wines here is universally recognized: A vintage such as Toscana ’04 deserves to be celebrated via the established, the cult, and the paradigms of consistency—the benchmarks of skill and passion.

2004 Toscana Six-Bottle Offering:
Castello dei Rampolla 2004 Sammarco…$103.17**
Castello dei Rampolla 2004 Vigna d'Alceo…$199.00**
San Giusto a Rentennano 2004 Percarlo…$132.55**
Fontodi 2004 Flaccianello della Pieve…$108.10
Tenuta San Guido 2004 Sassicaia…$159.97
Tenuta dell'Ornellaia 2004 Ornellaia…$189.00

2004 Toscana Six-Bottle Sampler Offer…$891.79*
* Free Delivery in Manhattan
**Indicates prearrival

Read on below to buy these wines individually and learn the importance each plays in this monumental case offering.

Castello dei Rampolla—2004 Sammarco and 2004 Vigna d'Alceo

Castello dei Rampolla 2004 Sammarco…$103.17**
(90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 5% Sangiovese)
Sammarco is the original biodynamic Super-Tuscan. Although we tend to position this Cab powerhouse after names like Sassicaia, Solaia, and Ornellaia, Sammarco actually predated Ornellaia (1980) and boasts the same winemaking talent behind that “aia” trio—Giacomo Tachis. This is one of the pioneering Tuscan blends that privileges craftsmanship and quality, establishing its credentials absent the instruments of media and marketing. Family owned and operated, Castello dei Rampolla pursues an artisanal approach that includes the practice of organic winemaking, hand selection of grapes, and cultivation of low yields.  The 2004 vintage gives us a Sammarco of unrivaled longevity—one that will age another two decades. While it exhibits a floral nose and layers of gorgeous black and blue fruits on the palate, Sammarco is one of the '04 vintage's fascinating and complex personalities, delivering a formidable restraint that places it firmly in the cellar for the next several years. (read more... )

Castello dei Rampolla 2004 Vigna d'Alceo…$199.00**
(85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot)
While Sammarco is a pioneer in the Super-Tuscan establishment, Castello dei Rampolla’s Vigna d’Alceo—which debuted in 1996—has undeniably attracted greater attention. Its intense marriage of opulence and power has given it cult status, placing it in the realm of Masseto and Messorio. No other in its class achieves such a stunning and provocative expression—with a lush density that belies the wine’s serious structure. Petit Verdot's contribution—unusual in the Super-Tuscan genre—renders d'Alceo more potent than the most power-hungry of cult Cabernets, imparting a sleek and spicy dimension. And 2004 was pure platinum for this wine, placing it in a context that perfectly complements the two worlds that it moves so effortlessly in—the bold and the disciplined. Vigna d’Alceo’s tongue-staining signature in ’04 is all about black fruit flavors—extreme cassis, sweet blackberry, and dark, potent licorice. Underneath this explosive fruit, however, is a finely wrought structure escorting that riveting entourage. (read more...)

**Indicates prearrival