Central Tuscan Coast - Livorno

There is no shortage of Grandi Cru. Whether rosé, white, or red, every wine here boasts supreme quality—so high, in fact, that it sparked one of the most significant revolutions in late-20th-century Italian winemaking: Sassicaia, one of the most sought-after wines at international auctions and a permanent benchmark on the Liv-ex indices. Indeed, driving along the old Aurelia highway in 1964 near the village of Donoratico, giant billboards on the fences of Marchesi Antinori’s Tenuta Belvedere read: ‘Here we produce Bolgheri Rosé.’

In fact, the very first Bolgheri DOC, granted in 1984, was exclusively for white and rosé wines. The DOC for red wine did not arrive until 1994, by which time Sassicaia already boasted 50 years of history and numerous international accolades.

Indeed, Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta had planted the first vineyard in Castiglioncello di Bolgheri back in 1944 using Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc cuttings gifted by the Marchesi Salviati from their Migliarino estate in Pisa.

In the immediate post-war period, Mario Incisa conducted his first winemaking trials with pressing and vinification in open casks (mimicking Château Margaux on a smaller scale) and aging in small Slavonian oak barrels—the precursors to modern barriques.

In 1964, the first batch of wine was bottled, marking the transition from a private production reserved only for family and friends, and introducing the collaboration with the legendary winemaker Giacomo Tachis.

Shortly after, the first definitive label was released with the 1968 vintage—following at least twenty years of experimentation and trials, and twenty-six years before the DOC recognition for reds. The Bolgheri territory has experienced intensive growth, expanding from 240 hectares under the designation at the end of the millennium to the current 1,400 hectares, all while consistently maintaining an outstanding level of product excellence.

Moreover, the Bolgheri phenomenon has expanded and consolidated, reaching north toward Riparbella and south into the Suvereto and Val di Cornia districts, producing world-renowned, world-class cru labels.