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Wine Description
The Story
After almost 30 years of experimentation and solid work the Marquis decided to release Sassicaia´s 1968 vintage to the open market using his cousin´s, Antinori´s distribution network in the early 1970s, with instant sensation. At a Decanter tasting of Cabernet wines in London, 1978, Sassicaia from vintage 1972 beat all the other 33 wines of France and California, and since then Sassicaia has been one of the leading wines in the world and in great demand among wine collectors and investors. The marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta passed away in 1983. His son, Marquis Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta, now oversees all estate operations.
Sassicaia means “the place of many stones,” and refers to the region’s gravel soil. The original vineyards have a southwest exposure with extensive sun and maritime breezes that create robust vegetation. The grapes were handpicked, destemmed and crushed before fermenting with natural yeasts for 15 days in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine was aged in French oak barriques (40% new) for 24 months, then refined for 6 months in bottle before release.
Wine Information
Normal with favourable summer temperatures, rather dry and excellent sunshine in 1982. Good fall conditions yielding a perfect harvest and maturation, but scarce production.
Harvest: The grapes were few but extraordinary.
Wine making: 14 – day maceration with temperature control, and it was followed by malolactic fermentation.
Ageing: Three quarters of the wine aged 21 months in French oak barrels (65% new and the
rest having been used one or twice before). The remaining wine aged in Slavonian oak that were used once or twice before. After ageing in the barriques the wine had a good fining, due to the exhuberance of the tannins both from the grapes and from the wood. As the wine had plenty of polyphenols, we aged the 1982 Sassicaia in new wood for a good period of time, knowing that its very interesting phenolic patrimony needed intensive polymerization.