Buy Now: Super Tuscans

Oh, Tuscany… perhaps the greatest wine region in Italy. The Piedmontese may object furiously – and likely Italians from all other regions, too – but the powerhouse of central Italy is undeniably a leader for producing structured, long-lived wines from native and international varieties alike.

First used about 40 years ago, the term “Super Tuscan” now refers to a style of red wine from the region influenced by Bordeaux when it comes to grape varieties (cabernet sauvignon and merlot in particular) and winemaking methods using new oak barrels. These wines began as experiments by winemakers eschewing strict local appellation rules specifying grape varieties. From initial production as Vino da Tavola, the lowest classification at the time, the first rule-breaking wines are now regarded as superstars, some with appellations of their own – think Sassicaia, Tignanello, Solaia and Montevertine in the 1970s.

Of course, these aren’t affordable bottles for most of us, but there are many fantastic wines that can be found for under $100. The list below includes a selection of Bordeaux-style blends based on cabernet sauvignon, all from the warm and generous 2018. The Cavalli Tenuta Degli Dei Toscana 2018 is an attractively reserved, medium-bodied blend of cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and cabernet franc from the Chianti Classico area, now beginning to drink deliciously. The Tua Rita Toscana Giusto di Notri 2018, produced from cabernet sauvignon with some cabernet franc and merlot just a few kilometres from the warm Tuscan coast, is a rich, ripe and full-bodied red full of power and aging potential. The Argiano Toscana Solengo 2018, meanwhile, is a firm, dense and tight super Tuscan from Montalcino, with a healthy dose of petit verdot (25 percent) in the blend alongside cabernet sauvignon, merlot and a sprinkle of sangiovese. It’s also one for the cellar.

Another blend from the Tuscan coast is the Caiarossa Toscana 2018. It has a significant proportion of syrah in addition to the Bordeaux varietals, all of which are organically grown. It’s medium- to full-bodied, subtle and refined, with wonderfully perfumed aromas.

Merlot does particularly well in Tuscany and makes both great blends and varietal wines, rivaling the great wines from Pomerol. The region allows richer, fuller expressions of the grape, distinguishable from Bordeaux. And despite being grown worldwide, it is highly sensitive to terroir and climate. The clay-rich soils in some areas of Tuscany are key to producing wines with structure and balance, as are the high diurnal shifts, which help maintain freshness in the wines, balancing their full body and ripe fruit expression. Merlot’s velvety black fruit profile makes it a perfect blending partner with Tuscany’s native sangiovese, complementing the often grippy tannins and sharp acidity with its plushness.

Check out the two fantastic merlot-sangiovese blends below: the Mazzei Toscana Siepi 2020 and Luce della Vite Toscana Luce 2019. Mazzei was one of the first families in the Chianti Classico area to plant merlot in the early 1980s, choosing Siepi as the ideal location to experiment with the grape due to the high clay content in its calcareous and marl schist soils.

The 2020 was showing fantastic drinkability already when James and I tasted it in Italy last summer, exhibiting a dark minerality and fantastic length. Meanwhile, Luce 2019 is produced farther south on the slopes of Montalcino and shows such depth and structure that it will reward a few more years in the cellar, but we recommend getting your hands on it if you can.

The extraordinary successes of international varieties notwithstanding, the star grape of central Italy is sangiovese. Super Tuscans made purely from the grape were made as IGT wines, either from areas outside more specific appellations or, counterintuitively, because appellations like Chianti did not allow wines to be made from 100 percent sangiovese.

Two pure sangiovese wines are included below. The Isole e Olena Toscana Cepparello 2018 is made from a selection of the estate’s best grapes in the northern part of Chianti Classico, and is gorgeous to taste now, with savory spice, slate and dark fruit character. For a tighter, more structured wine for the cellar, get your hands on the Bibi Graetz Toscana Testamatta 2019 – a fantastic blend of sangiovese from five vineyards across Tuscany.

These Tuscan wines are readily available in the United States and worldwide, and will give serious pleasure, whether paired with a big Florentine steak or to be tucked away in the cellar for a decade and well beyond.

– Claire Nesbitt, Associate Editor

Luce della Vite Toscana Luce 2019 – JS99
JJBuckley.com: $99.94

Mazzei Toscana Siepi 2020 – JS98
JJBuckley.com: $89.94
Zachys.com: $94.99

Bibi Graetz Toscana Testamatta 2019 – JS97
Zachys.com: $75
JJBuckley.com: $84.99
Wine.com: $99.99
TotalWine.com: $99.99

Argiano Toscana Solengo 2018 – JS96
Zachys.com: $69.99
TotalWine.com: $79.99

Caiarossa Toscana 2018 – JS96
KLWines.com: $59.99
TotalWine.com:$84.99

Tua Rita Toscana Giusto di Notri 2018 – JS96
JJBuckley.com: $89.94

Cavalli Tenuta Degli Dei Toscana 2018 – JS95
JJBuckley.com: $54.94

Isole e Olena Toscana Cepparello 2018 – JS95
JJBuckley.com: $89.94
Wine.com: $97.99