Many, but not all "Super Tuscan" wines originate from the Chianti Classico region. The first Super Tuscan was Sassicaia, although the term was not in use at the time. This wine appeared commercially in 1968, even though the original vineyards were planted as early as 1944. Sassicaia is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It is grown outside the Chianti Classico region, equidistant from Sienna and Florence, with vineyards on slopes that are only 4.5 miles from the sea at their closest point. Thus it benefits from a true maritime climate that has given it great consistency of quality from vintage to vintage.
Inspired by Sassicaia, Piero Antinori and his winemaker created Tignanello in the early seventies. This Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese blend was designed to demonstrate the true potential of such combinations that DOCG composition regulations would not permit. The rules were circumvented by labeling it not as a "Chianti," but as Vino da Tavola, or "table wine," even though the pricing was that of a premium wine. This opened the floodgates; now virtually all major Chianti producers have a Super Tuscan label in their portfolios. The fashion has spread to unblended Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah and even Sangiovese, all of which must bear the Vino da Tavola designation.
A significant feature of the production of Super Tuscan wines is aging in small French barriques--a global fashion for most modern premium wines, and now being adopted more frequently for Chianti Classico Riserva bottlings. In this manner and many others, the emergence of Super Tuscan labels has increased the quality of Chianti Classico through cross-fertilization of modern techniques to more traditional wines. Additionally, Tuscany can now be looked to for some of the world's most exciting and innovative super-premium wines.
