"Super Tuscan" is one of the most recognised phrases in Italian wine, yet it has no legal definition. It describes a style and a story more than a rule, and that story explains much about the Tuscan wines in the Stefano Ricci collection.
Breaking the rules
Under the Chianti regulations of 1967, wines had to follow strict recipes. Some of Tuscany's most ambitious producers wanted to work with grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, or to make wines the rules didn't allow. Their solution was to release them outside the official system, at first as simple vino da tavola, or table wine.
The pioneers became famous. Sassicaia, from vines first planted in 1944, released its first commercial wine in 1971. Tignanello followed in its modern form in 1975, a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. By 1985 the term "Super Tuscan" had appeared in print.
From table wine to IGT
Italy's wine laws eventually caught up. From 1992, the IGT category, Indicazione Geografica Tipica, became the home for these wines, and Toscana IGT now appears on many of Tuscany's most celebrated bottles.
Three styles
Today the name usually covers three kinds of wine:
- Bordeaux-style blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and related grapes
- Sangiovese blended with a Bordeaux variety
- Highly regarded pure Sangiovese wines
Where Stefano Ricci fits
The Tuscan wines in the Stefano Ricci collection are made by Tenuta Sette Ponti in the province of Arezzo, and each carries the Toscana IGT designation.
- SR Gold 2010 and SR Fine Paisley 2012 are magnums of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, Cuvée Giorgio Pinchiorri, aged 12 to 18 months in French barriques.
- SR Royal Eagle 2014 adds Petit Verdot to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and is aged for 24 months.
- SR Wings Red 2022 is 80% Sangiovese and 20% Merlot, aged 12 months in French barrique.
In other words, the collection spans two of the three classic styles: the Bordeaux blend and Sangiovese with a Bordeaux partner.