Tenuta San Guido Le Difese 2024

Le Difese 2024, the Tuscan bridge

In Le Difese 2024, I find a clear meeting between two familiar grape varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, brought together in a red from Tuscany. What sets it apart is also its history: it is the third wine of Tenuta San Guido, an estate closely tied to the birth of Sassicaia. Its announced profile favors pronounced acidity and a firm presence on the palate, without erasing the fruit.

Tenuta San Guido, between history and IGP Toscana

This wine is presented as IGP Toscana. Its grapes come from plots located between 100 and 300 meters in altitude, facing south and southwest. The calcareous soils mix decomposed silt and clay. Cultivation is traditional, with hand harvesting; the estate indicates a density of 5,800 vines per hectare. The blend of the 2024 vintage combines 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Sangiovese.

The story of Tenuta San Guido begins with Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who dreamed of wines inspired by Bordeaux. From 1948 to 1967, the estate produced wine for the Incisa della Rocchetta family. From this project came Sassicaia, associated with stony soils and the rise of Bolgheri as a recognized wine region. Le Difese today follows in this lineage, but with its own identity. An anecdote reported around this cuvée links it to the wedding of the founder's granddaughter.

For this 2024, the grapes are sorted, destemmed, then gently pressed. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks, at controlled temperature, with indigenous yeasts. Cabernet and Sangiovese macerate separately with their skins, for 13 to 15 days and 15 to 18 days respectively. After blending, the wine ages twelve months in French and American oak barrels. The available tasting note describes it as an expressive red with very present acidity. The information does not specify detailed aromatic notes or nuances of color, so it is best not to attribute particular aromas to it. Its profile sits halfway between fruity and spicy, with discreet oak presence and a rather structured body.

At the table, to accompany dishes with character

I would serve it with white meats, red meat or aged cheeses, pairings suggested for this wine. The announced vivacity can add relief to a generous dish, while its blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese opens a conversation between two expressions of Tuscan red. Choose a bottle for a meal where you want to take your time, and let it rest a few moments in the glass to express itself. Le Difese 2024 thus offers an accessible way to approach the world of Tenuta San Guido, without confusing it with Sassicaia.