A Super Tuscan is a red wine from Tuscany, Italy, made outside the region’s traditional wine laws. Many blend Sangiovese, Tuscany’s native grape, with international grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Others are made entirely from those French grapes, or from Sangiovese alone, aged in small French oak barrels. “Super Tuscan” isn’t an official category. It’s a nickname for wines whose makers decided quality mattered more than the rulebook.
Here’s how that rebellion started, and what it means on a label today.
Where did Super Tuscans come from?
For much of the 20th century, Italy’s wine laws told Tuscan winemakers exactly which grapes they could use. Chianti, the region’s best-known wine, was required to include some white grapes in the blend, and French varieties weren’t part of the traditional recipe at all.
In the 1960s and 1970s, a few ambitious producers decided to make the wines they believed Tuscany was capable of, rules or not:
- Sassicaia, from the Bolgheri area near the coast, was built around Cabernet Sauvignon. Its first commercial vintage was 1968.
- Tignanello, from the Antinori family, blended Sangiovese with Cabernet, left out the white grapes, and aged the wine in small French barrels. Its first vintage under that name was 1971.
Because these wines broke the official rules, they couldn’t carry a prestigious regional name. They had to be sold as vino da tavola, simple “table wine,” even as they earned some of the highest prices and reviews in Italy. The wine press started calling them “Super Tuscans,” and the name stuck.
Are Super Tuscans still “rule-breakers”?
Not officially anymore. In 1992, Italy created a category called IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica), which gives winemakers more freedom with grapes and methods. Many Super Tuscans are now labeled Toscana IGT. Some areas, like Bolgheri, later earned their own official designations for this style of wine.
So on a bottle today, “Toscana IGT” is often a clue you’re looking at a Super Tuscan, though the term itself still isn’t printed by law.
What grapes are in a Super Tuscan?
There’s no single recipe, which is the whole point. Common approaches include:
- Sangiovese blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot, the classic style
- Bordeaux grapes only, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc
- Sangiovese on its own, made in a richer, oak-aged style
- Sometimes Syrah or other international grapes
What does a Super Tuscan taste like?
It depends on the blend, but most are full-bodied, structured reds:
- From Sangiovese: cherry, red plum, dried herbs, and bright acidity
- From Cabernet and Merlot: darker fruit like blackberry and cassis, plus firmer tannins
- From French oak: vanilla, cedar, and spice
The best ones balance Tuscan brightness with the depth of the Bordeaux grapes. Many age well for a decade or more. For more on how the two main grapes differ, see Sangiovese vs. Cabernet Sauvignon.
Is a Super Tuscan the same as Chianti?
No. Chianti follows its regional rules and is based mainly on Sangiovese. A Super Tuscan is defined by stepping outside those rules, whether through French grapes, a different blend, or a different style of winemaking. Both come from Tuscany, and both often feature Sangiovese, but they’re made under different rules.
Super Tuscans outside Italy
The idea traveled. American winemakers, especially in California, use “Super Tuscan” loosely for wines made in that spirit, usually Sangiovese-based reds or Italian-inspired blends. Outside Italy, the name signals a style and a philosophy rather than a place.
What food goes with a Super Tuscan?
Think Tuscan cooking: simple, rich, and made for red wine.
- Grilled steak, especially a thick T-bone (bistecca alla fiorentina)
- Pasta with meat ragù or wild boar sauce
- Pizza with sausage or mushrooms
- Roast pork with rosemary and garlic
- Aged cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino
Sangiovese’s acidity makes these wines especially good with tomato-based dishes.
Our Sangiovese Super Tuscan
Our Sangiovese Super Tuscan is made in that same spirit: ripe cherry and wild herbs lead into a bold, structured palate. It’s a natural pick for a pasta night or anything off the grill. Come taste it at our tasting room at Vail Headquarters.