What are the best supertuscans? Discover our supertuscan wine list with photos, description and tasting. From the most famous supertuscan wines to the lesser known ones of the best wineries in Tuscany.
INDEX SUPERTUSCAN WINES
- What are Supertuscan wines?
- List of the Best Supertuscans
- Food pairing and Supertuscan
HISTORY OF SUPERTUSCAN WINES
What is the definition of supertuscan? The Supertuscan term was invented in the 1980s by the Anglo-Saxon press to identify Tuscan wines with a modern style and high quality level.
Specifically, the definition Supertuscan indicated Tuscan red wines produced outside the rules of the DOC and DOCG regulations, and made from the blend of vines of French origin such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot instead of (or in addition to) the traditional Sangiovese.
The first wine in the history of supertuscans is considered the Vigorello San Felice, produced in Castelnuovo Berardenga, although the first internationally successful wine is Antinori’s Tignanello, produced from the blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet.
It should be remembered that the custom of blending Sangiovese with Cabernet was already widespread in Carmignano (Prato), since the 1600s, since the French vines (called grape Francesca in Carmignano) were imported from France by the Medici. Carmignano can therefore be considered the true Supertuscan ante litteram.
Of great importance in the history of supertuscans are the Sassicaia (from 1968) of Tenuta San Guido, the wines of Marchesi Antinori, pioneers of famous Supertuscans such as Tignanello (from 1970), Ornellaia (from 1985), Solaia (from 1978) and the ‘Masseto’ (from 1986) of the Marchesi de ‘Frescobaldi.
Other wines that have marked the history of supertuscans since the 1980s are Montevertine’s Pergole Torte (1977), Fontodi’s Flaccianello della Pieve (1981), Tenuta le Pupille’s Saffredi (1987), Isole’s Cepparello (1982). and Olena, l’Apparita (1985) by Castello di Ama, Fontalloro (1983) by Fèlsina and many others.
The concept of supertuscan over the decades has expanded to include all iconic wines, both obtained from French and local varieties (Sangiovese), made outside the traditional wine specifications. In any case, although there are virtuous exceptions of monovarietal wines (especially Merlot) or Sangiovese (and any complementary native vines), supertuscan wines are still mainly associated with the Bordeaux blend and therefore with the art of blending.
BEST SUPERTUSCAN – Recommended by Jean Marco Palmieri
What are the best supertuscans? Discover the list of super Tuscan wines recommended by Italy’s Finest Wines with the tasting so that everyone can find the ideal wine for their tastes and needs.
You will find many of the most iconic and historic companies but also those that have stood out for their unique and original character.
BEST SUPERTUSCAN
‘Sassicaia’ 2018 DOC Sassicaia – Tenuta San Guido
Titillates the nose alternating intense varietal aromas of cherry, myrtle, scrubland, eucalyptus and hints of green pepper. The sip is material and harmonious with powerful and velvety tannins well balanced by a pressing acidity that creates a sensational balance of freshness on the palate.
Grapes: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon 15% Cabernet Franc
Tuscany region
A wine that made the history of Cabernets in Italy and paved the way for Bolgheri wines: dutifully among the best supertuscans for unquestionable finesse. A lysergic, refined but imaginative wine that speaks of the eloquence of the Tuscan terroir.
‘Oreno’ 2019 – Tenuta Sette Ponti
The olfactory picture is interesting, articulated between tones of dark and ripe berries, nuances of cocoa powder and balsamic nuances. On the palate it is dense, compact, velvety and with an unusual persistence.
Grapes: Merlot 45%, Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, Petit Verdot 15%
One of the best super Tuscans in existence. An elegant and full-bodied wine with great balance. Deservedly among the best supertuscans for enhancing the Bordeaux blend in Tuscany.
Saffredi 2017 – Fattoria delle Pupille
Captivating shades ranging from ripe blackberries, juniper berries, resin and nipitella, embellished with delicate woody nuances.
On the palate it spreads dense, and voluminous, with tannins of extraordinary silkiness that are the prelude to a final of imperishable persistence, with echoes of fruity, floral and spicy notes.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 30%, Petit Verdot 10%
The Saffredi of Fattoria delle Pupille is an undisputed icon among the best super Tuscans, capable of thrilling with its elegantly Mediterranean character. Without doubt the most virtuous testimony of the great enological vocation of the Tuscan Maremma.
‘Lupicaia’ 2016 – Castello del Terriccio
It is articulated between dark tones of red fruits such as wild strawberries and wild raspberries and dried flower poutporri followed by a more austere register of coffee powder, juniper berries and leather.
It presses the palate with an impressive and silky tannin and a good acidity that favors drinkability. The material and final mineral trail of extraordinary persistence is sensational.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon 90%, Petit Verdot 10%
A telluric supertuscan, enveloping, savory and exciting. Deservedly among the most historic and best super Tuscans.
Il Blu 2018 – Brancaia
Description: It gives off intense tones of raspberry, strawberry grapes in alcohol, white chocolate and tobacco.
In the mouth it has a well-defined, compact tannin and a great grip acidity that creates harmony and cleanliness to the sip. Excellent persistence on balsamic echoes.
Grapes Merlot 70%, Sangiovese 25%
A whimsical and exciting Supertuscan. Among the best supertuscans for its ability to combine the varietal character of Merlot with that of Sangiovese.
‘Tignanello’ 2016 – Toscana Rosso IGT – Antinori
On the nose it is penetrating and leads us to incisive fruity tones of ripe cherry and dried flower potpourri followed by delicate woody brushstrokes of vanilla, cocoa powder. The taste is solemn, silky and voluminous, with great persistence.
Grapes: Sangiovese – Cabernet Sauvignon – Cabernet Franc
The first Italian Super Tuscan, produced for the first time in 1970. Among the most historic and best supertuscans for classic elegance: A French-style peacock-tailed wine: it opens darkly to reveal itself expansive and telluric on the palate.
‘Galatrona’ Valdarno di Sopra 2017 – Petrolo
On the nose a bouquet stands out that ranges from hints of cherry, blackberry, humus and vegetable epiphanies, to give space to tertiary suggestions of vanilla, licorice and coffee. On the palate it is warm with an enveloping, silky tannic texture and a long seductive balsamic persistence.
Grapes: Merlot 100%
A sensational interpretation of the Bordeaux vine in Tuscany, conceived with the contribution of the famous winemaker Carlo Ferrini. A powerful and rich wine embellished with captivating mineral suggestions and great intelligibility of the fruit. Deservedly among the best supertuscans for overall finesse and varietal enhancement of Merlot
Colore 2016 – Bibi Graetz
Incisive aromas of ripe cherries and blackberries enhanced by nuances of leather, cloves and medicinal herbs. On the palate it presses with a thick, penetrating and silky tannic texture mitigated by a strong acidity. It opens for a balsamic finish, with a very long persistence.
Grapes: Sangiovese 100%
A sui generis and original wine, among the best supertuscans for expressiveness and enhancement of the character of Sangiovese in the hills of Fiesole. It stretches towards a balsamic and persistent finish making the mind travel towards reminiscences and olfactory archetypes.
Cepparello 2016 – Isole e Olena
Multifaceted, fine and complex character: it opens on display on berries and ripe cherries, embellished with spices, blood notes, licorice and officinal herbs. Great extract in the mouth with compact tannins of great thickness and finesse. Excellent persistence and elegance.
Grapes: Sangiovese 100%
An imaginative and exciting wine, an interpretation of extraordinary elegance of Sangiovese. Surely among the best supertuscans for sensational dialectic between fruit clarity and tertiary notes.
Redigaffi 2017 – Tua Rita
It opens in a kaleidoscope of aromas between notes of blueberries and blackberry jam followed by a more austere character of dark cocoa powder, cardamom, incense and undergrowth. The palate with a silky tannin and a good acidity that favors drinkability. Great flavor and excellent persistence.
Grapes: Merlot 100%
One of the best interpretations of Merlot in Italy. Sapid and seductive with intact fruit of great intelligibility, embellished but not masked by the tertiary notes. Fully among the most famous and best supertuscans for the enhancement of the vine of the famous Bordeaux vine.
Tenuta di Trinoro 2019 – Tenuta di Trinoro
Characteristics: Aromas initially played on notes of black cherry, violet, and blackberry embellished with more enigmatic hints of wild catmint and humus. On the palate well-hatched and compact tannins and great acidity which confers smoothness.
Grapes: Cabernet Franc 69%, Merlot 23%, Cabernet Sauvignon 8%
A historic and intoxicating wine among the best interpretations of Supertuscan for its multifaceted taste-olfactory complexity.
Refined, elegiac and long-limbed: with an interesting iodized flavor and inexhaustible persistence in which the varietal character of Cabernet re-emerges in its eloquence. Certainly one of the most historic and best super Tuscans.
D’Alceo 2017 – Castello dei Rampolla
Description: The aromatic spectrum is seductive and outlines nuances of ripe cherry, wild raspberry to make room for woody tones, tar and tobacco. On the palate it is voluminous, with a well-marked tannic texture of great thickness and synergistically linked to an acidity that creates dialectics and rhythm. Excellent persistence with afterward echoes of fruit and spices.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon 85%, Petit Verdot 15%
An unmissable wine: a riot of aromas and skilfully integrated tertiary notes. Duty to rank it among the best supertuscans for its ability to masterfully renew the character of Cabernet Sauvignon in Tuscany.
‘L’Apparita’ 2015 Toscana Rosso IGT – Castello di Ama
Description: Red fruits in evidence among which stand out ripe black fruits, plum, epiphanies of autumnal forest walks followed by pleasant sandalwood and sweet tobacco.
Grapes: Merlot 100%
Recognized as one of the best supertuscans produced with Merlot: great mastery in the varietal interpretation of the Bordeaux grape. Enveloping, dense and majestic with a boundless and archaic finish.
Caberlot 2015 – Il Carnasciale
A lysergic kaleidoscope of olfactory sensations of dark and ripe berries, cocoa powder and balsamic nuances opens to the nose. On the palate it is dense, compact, velvety and with an unusual persistence.
Grapes: Caberlot 100%
One of the best supertuscans in existence born from the synergistic combination of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. An elegant and full-bodied wine with great balance. Surely one of the best supertuscans for taste-olfactory eloquence.
Baron Ugo 2016 – Monteraponi
Involving the aromatic framework that is articulated between ripe cherries, blackberries, flanked by light spicy notes of vanilla, cocoa powder and smoky notes. On the palate it has a sumptuous tannic texture that is elegantly powerful but smooth.
Grapes: Sangiovese 90%, Canaiolo 7%, Colorino 3%
One of the best supertuscans for its ability to combine structure and aromatic finesse and great and silkiness.
‘Ornellaia’ Bolgheri Superiore DOC 2015 – Tenuta dell’Ornellaia
Description: Raspberry, and wild strawberries lengthen towards a finish rich in suggestions of cloves, tobacco, resin, bark and iodized tones. The mouth is immediately enveloped by powerful and silky tannins that slowly leave room for a long and fruity finish.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon 56%, Merlot 27%, Cabernet franc 10%, Petit verdot 7%
Born in 1981, it is still one of the most famous super Tuscans at an international level. Superb on the nose and eloquent on the palate, it is a wine with a sensational intelligibility that layers complex aromatic tones defined and unusual.
Surely one of the most historical and best supertuscans for olfactory complexity but also material and resolute palate.
Solaia Antinori 2017 Toscana IGT Rosso – Antinori
Description: A kaleidoscope of notes of red fruit and nipitella is created, embellished with elegant woody notes of roasting and cocoa powder. The taste is wide and clean, characterized by a compact and mature tannin. Sensational persistence finish on the fruit, spices,
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon 75%, Sangiovese 20%, Cabernet Franc 5%
Invented by Piero Antinori in 1978, it is one of the best super Tuscans. A sumptuous and slender wine, with a long and satisfying sip, one of the most famous and best Italian red wines for depth and olfactory precision.
Flaccianello della Pieve 2016 – Colli Toscana Centrale IGT – Fontodi
Description: On the nose it spreads intense notes of ripe cherry and red orange peel followed by autumn spices and juniper berries. Well-defined and measured tannins and pacing acidity that gives great freshness and drinkability.
Grapes: Sangiovese 100%
Considered among the most famous Supertuscan, a wine that has marked generations of enthusiasts all over the world. A long-limbed and vibrant wine. Among the most historic and best supertuscans for maximizing the varietal character of Sangiovese.
50 e 50 2017 – Avignonesi
A harmonious wine, with a fresh drink but enriched by strong brushstrokes of wild strawberries, cassis, eucalyptus, leather and undergrowth nuances. Great extract that creates a sensational counterpoint with the pounding acidity typical of Sangiovese. Emphatic and penetrating finish.
Grapes: Sangiovese 50%, Merlot 50%
Among the most historical and best supertuscans for balance and harmony and ability to enhance and integrate the tertiary notes. A vibrant wine, an icastic and incisive representation of supertuscan.
Orma 2019 – Orma
Characteristics: Ripe and preserved red fruit, which stretch towards a finish of austere spices, goudron, spicy nuances and undergrowth Great polyphenolic extract and final length and great precision
Grapes: Merlot 50%, Cabernet Franc 20%, Cabernet Sauvignon 30%
One of the best versions of Supertuscan with international success. A powerful, prolix and passionate wine. Ideal wine for enthusiasts, certainly among the most famous and best supertuscans.
SUPERTUSCAN PAIRINGS
Looking for supertuscans pairings?
For supertuscan wines it is preferable when paired with structured foods rich in sauces, such as brown background and demi-glace and Bordeaux sauce that give succulence to the dishes.
Perfect pairing with supertuscan wines can be dishes based on game such as stews, braised, wild boar, guinea fowl or duck based, but also roast veal and pork. Particularly ideal if seasoned with Mediterranean herbs and spices that can recall the Bolgheri territory: bay leaf, juniper berries, rosemary, sage and black pepper.
Sensational also the Supertuscan combinations with first courses rich in seasonings such as Pici with Wild Boar Ragù, or Pappardelle Toscane. Super Tuscan wines, especially if with a few years of aging, are also very convincing with very mature rich cheeses.
For the super Tuscan wines of historical vintages, however, it will be sensational when paired with dishes of great complexity, aroma and structure, embellished with ingredients of great value, but also tasted alone as a meditation wine.
Definitely choosing Supertuscan food combinations that are territorial is an excellent solution. Examples of sensational combinations with Supertuscan can be Wild Boar in Dolceforte, Tagliata di Chianina with White Truffle from San Miniato, Boar Scottiglia with Polenta, Duck Breast with Cabernet reduction. In addition, for those who love cheeses, try the Supertuscan pairing with Pecorino di Pienza aged in Barriques.
GASTRONOMY OF TUSCANY
Tuscany is rich in culinary history, anecdotes and tradition that make this region an Italian gastronomic scenario of great interest. Land of gastronomic excellences such as Chianina and Maremmana beef, Cinta Senese pig but also game such as duck, hare and wild boar.
Tuscan bread is a symbol of Tuscan gastronomy and is distinguished by the lack of salt, so much so that it is called silly or unsalted bread. From the reuse of stale bread, many iconic dishes of Tuscan poor cuisine are born: pappa al pomodoro and ribollita, but also panzanella and Maremma aquacotta.
Among the starters, pork-based dishes are popular. Typical Tuscan appetizer with cold cuts, such as Tuscan ham, finocchiona and soprassata, rigatino and buristo, accompanied by toasted Tuscan livers.
The first courses are generally based on complex sauces often based on game and white meats such as the famous pappardelle with wild boar or hare sauce. Other very characteristic Tuscan first courses are Mugello potato tortelli, Maremma tortelli, pici all’aglione and gnudi.
Boar scald
Among the main courses to try in Tuscany we find the Florentine steak, a very tall and tasty cut of Chianina or Maremmana meat to be cooked on the grill or on the grill and served very rare. Among the second courses based on meat, there are countless stews and braised meats such as Peposo dell’Impruneta, Sangiovannese-style Stracotto, Wild Boar Scottiglia.
Also from the beef are born iconic dishes of Tuscan cuisine such as the Florentine tripe and the Lampredotto, but also the tongue, the cheek and the livers, all dishes that can be opened in the classic Tuscan street-food.
Not least the Tuscan soups and minestrone, generally made of black cabbage, but also the beans all’uccelletto, a must in typical Tuscan taverns.
On the Tyrrhenian coast fish specialties, such as Cacciucco alla livornese or cod alla maremma, and fried rock fish and molluscs.
Finally, there are many traditional Tuscan desserts. Among these are the cantucci di Prato that go perfectly with Tuscan vin santo, or other desserts such as the Florentine schiacciata, the grape schiacciata, the brigidini, the Sienese panforte and many others.
What are the best supertuscans?
What are the best supertuscans? Choosing is a difficult undertaking, which however inevitably is subject to the limits of a subjective opinion, which as such, by definition, is deficient and arbitrary.
We have simply compiled a list of our favorite interpretations according to our evaluations. However, it remains essential to underline that wine is not born as a status symbol, to be exhibited or flaunted coram populo.
But to excite us and be shared in a genuine way with the people we love, binding ourselves to contingent situations and to the unrepeatable and intimate moments of our life.
Therefore, we invite you to visit wineries and get to know the producers who produce wines in their uniqueness, so that you can independently discover and choose the wine that can be counted for you among your personal favorite wines. If you have had the patience to read this far, thank you for your attention, but now is the time to fill the glasses and cut the distant hopes, and therefore:
Cheers, Salute, Santé
Jean Marco Palmieri
