Super Tuscans Save Sangiovese and 2006 Helix Sangiovese
Super Famous Super Tuscan: Brunello di Montalcino
Remember our discussion about how many wine drinkers were scared away from Sangiovese by unfortunate encounters with Chianti? We hinted about the movement that paved the way for the salvation of a truly delicious varietal, and now we’ll tell you all about it.
The Downfall of Chianti
If you’re fortunate enough to be sipping a glass of 2006 Helix Sangiovese, you should raise your glass in thanks to the Super Tuscan movement (If you’re not, what are you waiting for, go get some!). In the late 1960′s, some Tuscan winemakers were entirely fed up by the antiquated Italian wine making restrictions. They felt the old socialist inspired rules that forced them to incorporate mediocre varietals into their Chianti blends were ruining the region’s reputation and limiting their potential. These bold vintners believed so strongly that the old rules were holding them back that they were willing to leave behind the Chianti label and strike out on their own.
Super Tuscans
Leaving the old blending restrictions behind, in 1968 Azienda Agricola San Felice created Vigorello, the first ever “Super Tuscan.” Soon after, in the 1970′s, Piero Antinori, a man who could trace his family’s wine making roots back more than 600 years, followed suite and thwarted generations of restricting traditions. Antinori scrapped the Chianti blend’s traditional white grapes and instead added Bordeaux varietals (remember our posts about Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot?) and created a richer red wine called Tingenello. So to sum it up, Super Tuscans are Tuscan red wines that do not follow the strict DOC or DOCG blending regulations and restrictions of the region.
No Mere Table Wine
Initially, these Super Tuscans were degraded with the lowly designation of “vino de tavola” or low quality table wines because they didn’t meet the DOC/DOCG regulations. Eventually, the reputation and subsequent profitability convinced the Italian wine regulators that the Super Tuscans deserved some sort of official recognition, and the new category of Indicazione Geografica Tipica (wine that exemplifies the region of growth) was created.
Super Tuscans, and the bold, tradition flouting, experimental wine makers who created them, reminded the wine world how delicious Sangiovese could be. Visit or contact the Reininger tasting room to grab a bottle for yourself (or for a very, very deserving friend).
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