Regional Blends

Wine Baby’s Guide to: Super Tuscan

Super Tuscan’s represent the rebellious side of winemaking in Italy.

The winemaking rules for Chianti used to be extremely strict, and unfortunately, this eventually led to downturn in their sales. The quality just wasn’t there, and the rules were getting in the way.

Winemakers grew frustrated and wanted to break free from these restrictive traditions in order to make superior quality red blends, often with grapes not native to the region.

Originally, these wines were given the lowest designation for Italian wines. But critics and wine drinkers took notice and soon their popularity and prices were outpacing that of the classic Chianti.

Thus, the term “Super Tuscan” was born.

These wines were so successful, in fact, that the Chianti DOC was convinced to loosen it’s tight restrictions enought to try to tempt some wines back into the designation. Many have not returned, however, choosing to stay separate and keep their creative freedom.

TASTING A SUPER TUSCAN

Because of the huge amount of creative agency that winemakers have, the range of what you will taste in a Super Tuscan is far too broad to categorize it.

The only thing consistent to most Super Tuscan’s is that they will generally consist of the traditional Chianti grape Sangiovese, blended with the traditional Bordeaux grapes of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah.

Not all Super Tuscan’s are a blend though. They can also be single varietal wines of any of those grapes. This means there’s not a one-size-fits-all description for what you will taste when sipping on a Super Tuscan.

Colour

These wines are known for being big and bold showstoppers, which aligns with the power of the grapes typically used in these wines. Expect them to be deep in colour, but ranging across the spectrum for reds.

Nose and Palate

These are going to vary widely depending on which grapes are used in the blend, and at one percentages. A 100% Sangiovese Super Tuscan, for example, is going to taste and smell completely different from an equal blend of the Bordeaux grapes.

If you’ve got a bottle in hand stating what the exact blend is, check out my articles on each of the different grape varietals to get a sense of what you might be tasting.

Pairing

Big, bold red wines deserve to go with rich, meaty meals, regardless of what the specific blend is. These are great food pairing wines for everthing from a steak dinner to a gourmet hamburger.

If you know the specific blend, consider pairing your meal with the most dominant grape in the blend.

SHOPPING FOR A SUPER TUSCAN

The phrase “Super Tuscan” is not one that you are going to find on the bottle while scanning your local liquor store, so let’s talk about which terms you should look for.

Many Super Tuscans can be found under the label “Indicazione Geographica Tipica” (IGT) and associated to Tuscany (or “Toscana” in Italian). This style is also replicated all throughout Italy now as well though, so don’t feel like you can’t leave the boundaries of Tuscany once you are ready to start exploring more.

Another DOC to look out for is the Bolgheri DOC, which was created specifically for wines made from international grapes.

More specifically, here are a few wine names you may want to keep an eye out for, as they have been repeatedly recognized as some of the best of the best, and originals, in the Super Tuscan game:

• Tignanello
• Sassicaia
• Ornellaia

Another tip: want to try another take on the famous 100% Merlot from Pomerol? Keep an eye out for Masseto, which is a single varietal Merlot grown in clay soil in Italy.

Do you have any specific favourite Super Tuscans? Share them with us in the comments!