2016 La Ricolma

Luca Martini di Cigala presented a superb set of wines. The 2020s are stellar. It was not an easy vintage, though. There is no Ricolma. An unexpected and sudden rise in volatile acidity required a level of intervention the estate did not want to undertake, so the 2020 was not bottled. In tasting, the 2020s are brilliant, with an unforgettable Percarlo leading the way. The 2021s, which I tasted from barrel, might turn out to be even better. “In 2020, we started to see some dehydration on the vine in well-draining sites, so we moved harvest up by five days,” Luca Martini di Cigala explained. “Our harvest took place from September 16 to October 6, whereas in 2021 we started on September 22 and finished on October 15.”

As always, most of the focus here is on the vineyards, while winemaking is decidedly minimalist. Fermentations are done in cement with indigenous yeasts, with the exception of Ricolma, which is now fermented using commercial yeasts, a measure taken to avoid a repeat of 2020, when the wine was inadvertently ruined. Malolactic fermentations are completed by the end of the year. The wines are then racked and moved into oak at the beginning of the following year. Most of the wines see 18-20 days on the skins, but that can grow to 35-40 for Percarlo. The Chianti Classico is aged in cask and/or neutral oak, while the Baroncole and Percarlo are aged in a mix of French oak and cask, while Ricolma is raised entirely in French oak.

Once again, Luca Martini di Cigala presented a strong set of wines. The 2019 vintage was not easy. A severe hailstorm on July 13 damaged the canopy in the Sangioveses and pushed back harvest by about ten days. Things were even more difficult for the Merlot. Because of its earlier cycle, Merlot was more exposed and hail damaged the berries, not just the canopies. As a result, yields for the Ricolma are down 50%. Some wines, notably the Baròncole, show a slightly rough quality to the tannins. The 2020s I tasted point to a strong year. "We had one very hot week in the middle of September that accelerated our harvest. It felt like the grapes might dehydrate on the vine, " Martini di Cigala told me. "That was followed by heavy rain and cold weather." The 2020s are marked by luscious fruit and terrific depth. Sadly, though, there will be no Ricolma because of a technical issue that arose in fermentation. I am sure it is incredibly hard to lose a wine like that after an entire year of work, but then again, these are wines made with an uncompromising commitment to values of sustainable farming and artisan winemaking, so these things can happen.

Once again, my tasting at San Giusto a Rentennano was a real highlight of the time I spent in Chianti Classico. San Giusto is one of the few estates that marries noble origins with an artisan approach to farming and making wine. The result is wines that are stunning across the entire range. "Two thousand eighteen is very much like 2016, except that the last phase of ripening was accelerated from 10-25 September," Luca Martini di Cigala explained. "We were helped by rains of about 25mm in August that were pretty modest relative to the heavier rains that fell in other parts of the region.” The San Giusto wines are increasingly done in large format and/or neutral oak, which has really helped the purity of these impeccably farmed sites to come through in the wines.

The Martini di Cigala family follows their brilliant 2015s with an even more thrilling set of 2016s. Over the last few years in particular, Luca Martini di Cigala and the family have taken their wines into the stratosphere and firmly placed them among the world's most pedigreed wines. With regards to 2017, Luca Martini di Cigalactold me frost was not a big factor at San Giusto, but that instead the major event was a blast of heat in August that scorched the fruiit and reduced yields by 20%. Unlike other warm years, the 2017s here retain a good bit of freshness that is likely the result of heavy rains in early September that were basically the first rains of the entire growing season. The flagship Percarlo is absolutely stunning, but it is also slightly edged by the 100% Merlot Ricolma, which is majestic in 2016. I tasted it three times, once with the other 2016s, a second time in a complete vertical for a forthcoming article, and third time next to a number of other top 2016s. In my opinion, the 2015 and 2016 La Ricolma are the greatest back-to-back wines ever made by an estate in Tuscany.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

Readers should do whatever they can to get a few bottles of the 2015s from San Giusto a Rentennano. Luca Martini di Cigala turned out an extraordinary set of wines that hit peaks of profoundness in the Percalo and Ricolma, both of which are truly epic. Martini di Cigala describes 2015 as a year with extreme heat in the summer. Temperatures soared for forty days in a row until 100mm of rain fell during three rain events in August. Grapes were highly concentrated, with thick skins and little juice. As for the wines, well, they are simply extraordinary. Over the last few years, French oak influence has come down in favor of casks. Today, San Giusto a Rentennano is firmly ensconced as one of the great estates, not just of Italy, but the world.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

These wines from San Giusto show what was possible in 2014 with diligent work in the vineyard, and probably a bit of good fortune too. The three top wines in 2014 – the Chianti Classico Riserva Le Baroncole, Percarlo and La Ricolma are all stunning in their beauty and purity. Not content to rest on his laurels, proprietor Luca Martini di Cigala continues to push the envelope with new vineyard developments and an approach in the cellar that increasingly relies on larger format oak. The 2015s and 2016s I tasted from barrel during my most recent visit suggest quality continues to increase, which is remarkable for an estate that is already at such a high level.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

San Giusto a Rentennano fans will be thrilled with these new releases. Luca Martini di Cigala's wines echo an artisan spirit that is often seen in Piedmont and Burgundy, but much less so in Chianti Classico. These wines breath with humanity and a total dedication to the vineyard. Quite frankly, I wish there were more estates operating at this level. The fact that there aren't makes San Giusto all the more special. Martini describes 2013 as a vintage with two significant rain events during harvest. The first storm came in the early morning hours of October 1, when 60mm of rain fell within less than an hour. Fortunately, the humid conditions that can trigger rot did not appear. A second storm arrived on October 6. Weather, up until the rains, had been quite favorable, so the grapes resisted well. If that sounds familiar, it was a pretty similar story in 2010, a year that also saw rain during harvest. To be sure, the 2013s show the more refined side of Sangiovese, but the effects of the late season rains is not really felt in these wines, something I also found at a number of properties in Gaiole. In 2014, on the other hand, the grapes were really pushed to the limit. Swelling from rain and the effects of the Suzukii fruit fly were among the issues that were rampant that year. The grapes with the thinnest skins, and that therefore had to be harvested earliest, were the most compromised. Conditions improved markedly during the last month of the season. There was no rain from September 20 to October 20. The fruit that was able to make it through that period produced much better results, as I saw from the 2014s I tasted from barrel during my most recent visit.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

Readers are much more likely to find proprietor Luca Martini di Cigala in the vineyard than in the cellar. That, in its truest essence, is what San Giusto is all about. Artisan wines that reflect the vigneron culture, Tuscan style. The transformation at San Giusto over the last few years has been nothing short of remarkable. Martini di Cigala continues to develop new vineyards and refine his approach in the cellar. Small French oak barrels have pretty much been eliminated in favor of 500L and 30 and 40HL casks, which is allowing the extraordinary purity of these sites to come through like never before. The 2013s, which I tasted from barrel, are shaping up to be spectacular. But the 2012s, from a decidedly inferior vintage, aren't that far behind the pace. In many ways, it is the 2012s that show just how a high level San Giusto is at today. These are no longer among the most profound wines in Tuscany or Italy, for that matter. San Giusto is world-class. It's as simple as that.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

When I stopped by San Giusto in the spring of 2012, Chianti Classico was already going through a pretty severe drought. Rain arrived a few weeks later, but the season was not without its challenges. Proprietor Luca Martini di Cigala describes 2012 as a year in which ripening took place in fits and starts. Even so, the straight Chianti Classico is quite pretty. Vintage 2011 is another story altogether. Here the weather was warm the entire year. A final burst of heat at the end of the season accelerated ripening but also created problems, including the loss of 25-30% of the crop through dehydration on the vine and sunburn. Over the last few years, Martini di Cigala has progressively pruned late and kept as much leaf cover as possible to encourage later ripening and protect the fruit against heat spikes.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

In 2011 proprietor Luca Martini di Cigala picked his Sangiovese in two passes, but today thinks the earlier picks were better. We will see. Martini di Cigala describes 2010 as very damp in May and June, while July and August signaled a return to more favorable weather. Rain returned during harvest, but it is timing that counts, and on that count things turned out much better than say 2005, when late-season rains had a big effect on the vintage. According to Martini di Cigala, one of the characteristics of 2010 was that there was little moisture on the plants in the mornings which eased disease pressure, as opposed to 2013, for example, when summer mornings have seen quite a bit of dew and overall moisture. Martini di Cigala concludes by adding that maturation was very gradual and even in 2010. As for the wines, well, they are spectacular, it is as simple as that. For more on San Giusto, readers may enjoy taking a look at this complete vertical of Percalo from our Archive.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

San Giusto a Rentennano is one of Italy's leading estates. Brothers Luca and Francesco Martini di Cigala are quiet and unassuming. They prefer to let the wines speak for themselves, which they do with great eloquence. Readers might want to check out my complete vertical of San Giusto's flagship Percarlo, also in Issue 201. From top to bottom, these remain some of the most reasonably priced wines in the world considering the pure quality of what goes into the bottle.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

San Giusto is a reference-point estate that encapsulates so many of the artisan values that make the best wines of Tuscany so appealing. The Baroncole remains San Giusto's least consistent wine, but all of the other reds are flying very high these days. The sweet San Giusto is an extreme wine, so it is only natural that some years are better than others.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

San Giusto is one of the pearls of Italy. This small, family-run property is a great source for hand-made, artisan wines that reflect the best of the Tuscan vigneron spirit. Simply put, I was blown away by most of these new releases.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

My tasting last year with proprietor Luca Martini di Cigala was an eye-opener. Aside from his humility - which always leaves a deep impression ( I was simply blown away by the quality of the 2006s, which were in barrel at the time. His 2006 Percarlo was glorious that day, but it won't be released until next year. In the meantime, these new releases should keep the estate's fans, of which I am one, more than happy.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

I remember visiting Luca Martini di Cigala shortly after the 2005 harvest. "It was shaping up to be a great year and then it rained at the end of the season," he told me with his customary candor. The truth is in the glass, and the reality is that the 2005s have aged very well since them. Unfortunately I was not able to taste the Chianti Classico.

I can't think of too many growers who would show the humility to say “I could have done better” when talking about one of his highly acclaimed wines from a few years ago. It is precisely that quiet drive to continue to improve which makes Luca Martini di Cigala and San Giusto a Rentennano one of Italy's top producers. Martini is assisted by consulting oenologist Attilio Pagli, who unlike some of his colleagues, seems happy to play a supporting role that accentuates the virtues of the estate's wines rather than imposing the cookie cutter approach which has become so common among consultants. That is the good news. The bad news, or half-bad news, I should say, is that San Giusto has decided to delay the release of the 2005 Percarlo and 2000 Vin San Giusto for an additional year as they believe the wines will benefit from an additional year in bottle. It's hard to argue against that logic. In the meantime, US buyers might hope the dollar rallies. I also tasted all of the estate's 2006s and they are stunning wines at this point. Curiously Martini says 2006 is a vintage from which little was expected until a glorious final month of weather produced superb wines. Paradoxically, 2005 looked very promising, but persistent rain during the last phase of ripening ruined what had been up until that point a great year.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

The Vin Santo here is Italy's best after the two made by Avignonesi, and an insider's tip is that brothers Luca and Francesco Martini di Cigala always have a few barrels that are the equal of anything made there. Quantities are small though, and the brothers are toying with the idea of perhaps one day producing a stellar non-vintage sticky that people will rave about, though I shudder at the price it might command. Until they decide what to do, enjoy yourself with one of the greatest Super-Tuscans of them all, the 100%-sangiovese Percarlo, made from a selection of the best grapes of the property, and the 100%-merlot La Ricolma, a cult wine that is now back in top form after a few vintages that Luca was less than happy with. "The '03 is a transition year for the Ricolma," he says. "Now we're harvesting the merlot two weeks later on average, right before the sangiovese, which is unheard of. But we feel we get more richness and depth of flavor this way, without risking any jamminess."

What a pleasure it is to taste these new releases from San Giusto a Rentennano. Soft-spoken proprietor Luca Martini di Cigala is one of the humblest producers in Chianti Classico yet he routinely turns out deeply expressive, reference-point wines. The estate's 31 hectares of vineyards are planted on two distinct soil types. The first is composed of a sandy, marly mixture rich with rocks that reaches 4-5 meters in depth before reaching a bed of clay. Most of the fruit for the estate's signature wine, Percarlo, comes from this terroir. The second soil type is richer in clay and lies on a shallower foundation. Beginning in 2003 the estate has made some important changes in vineyard management, most notably in the Merlot plots that are used for La Ricolma. Martini favors a gradual approach to ripening that allows him to increase hang-time and harvest fairly late. By changing the timing of green harvests and leaving more leaf cover he is aiming to keep the vineyards as fresh as possible in order to delay the ripening of the typically precocious Merlot. Of course, much of that work was for naught in the torrid 2003 vintage, but in 2004 he has produced a wine that captures the essence of varietal wedded to an unmistakably Tuscan character. The estate favors small French oak barrels for its top bottlings, Percarlo and La Ricolma, both of which see about 50% new oak. The wines are made with the services of consulting oenologist Attilio Pagli whose transparent hand places him among the country's elite winemakers. As was the case throughout the region the 2003 harvest took place about three weeks earlier than usual. “Typically it takes us two weeks to harvest everything, but in 2003 there wasn't much fruit so we were able to get everything in the cellar in a week,” says Martini. “In 2004 we had completely different conditions. The weather was much more balanced, and we had the cool nights that are essential to for gradual ripening. That said, we also faced some challenges. We had some rain in August and that caused the berries to bloat a little, so we carried out a strict selection in the vineyards. In the cellar we performed a series of salassi (saignées) to restore the skin to liquid balance we look for. The wines have excellent minerality and acidity which should allow them to age well. For us I think 2004 is superior to 2001. Of course, its only over time that we understand how vintages age, and I am convinced that we all still have much to learn. I often find that the ‘great' vintages are those that often don't live up to expectations while the ‘smaller' vintages often turn out better than most people expect.” Readers who want to explore the finest Tuscany has to offer should make a note to check out this outstanding set of wines from San Giusto a Rentennano. While not inexpensive, in today's market these wines offer incredible value for the money.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

What a pleasure it is to taste these new releases from San Giusto a Rentennano. Soft-spoken proprietor Luca Martini di Cigala is one of the humblest producers in Chianti Classico yet he routinely turns out deeply expressive, reference-point wines. The estate's 31 hectares of vineyards are planted on two distinct soil types. The first is composed of a sandy, marly mixture rich with rocks that reaches 4-5 meters in depth before reaching a bed of clay. Most of the fruit for the estate's signature wine, Percarlo, comes from this terroir. The second soil type is richer in clay and lies on a shallower foundation. Beginning in 2003 the estate has made some important changes in vineyard management, most notably in the Merlot plots that are used for La Ricolma. Martini favors a gradual approach to ripening that allows him to increase hang-time and harvest fairly late. By changing the timing of green harvests and leaving more leaf cover he is aiming to keep the vineyards as fresh as possible in order to delay the ripening of the typically precocious Merlot. Of course, much of that work was for naught in the torrid 2003 vintage, but in 2004 he has produced a wine that captures the essence of varietal wedded to an unmistakably Tuscan character. The estate favors small French oak barrels for its top bottlings, Percarlo and La Ricolma, both of which see about 50% new oak. The wines are made with the services of consulting oenologist Attilio Pagli whose transparent hand places him among the country's elite winemakers. As was the case throughout the region the 2003 harvest took place about three weeks earlier than usual. “Typically it takes us two weeks to harvest everything, but in 2003 there wasn't much fruit so we were able to get everything in the cellar in a week,” says Martini. “In 2004 we had completely different conditions. The weather was much more balanced, and we had the cool nights that are essential to for gradual ripening. That said, we also faced some challenges. We had some rain in August and that caused the berries to bloat a little, so we carried out a strict selection in the vineyards. In the cellar we performed a series of salassi (saignées) to restore the skin to liquid balance we look for. The wines have excellent minerality and acidity which should allow them to age well. For us I think 2004 is superior to 2001. Of course, its only over time that we understand how vintages age, and I am convinced that we all still have much to learn. I often find that the ‘great' vintages are those that often don't live up to expectations while the ‘smaller' vintages often turn out better than most people expect.” Readers who want to explore the finest Tuscany has to offer should make a note to check out this outstanding set of wines from San Giusto a Rentennano. While not inexpensive, in today's market these wines offer incredible value for the money.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.

So many of Tuscany’s most famous wines achieved their vaunted status by accident. That is the case with San Guido’s Sassicaia, which for several decades was made solely for the Incisa della Rocchetta family’s home consumption. In 1978, Piero Antinori had more Cabernet Sauvignon than he needed for his Tignanello, so he bottled it separately. That wine became Solaia. Masseto was an experimental wine when it was first produced in 1986 as Il Merlot dell’Ornellaia. What about San Giusto a Rentennano’s Merlot La Ricolma? Well, it turns out La Ricolma has a pretty interesting story too. This complete vertical of La Ricolma was the first ever complete retrospective ever held at the estate.