outside of France. Now we call these kinds of grapes international
grapes, because you find them everywhere in the world. But not at
that time."
The Marchese chose as the location for his inaugural harvest of
Cabernet Franc grapes 1.2 hectares on a hilltop far away from the
sea. The vines were planted in 1942 and the first bottle produced
in 1945. The result was less than popular among the locals, and as
such for many years the wine was reserved for the Incisa family's
private consumption. The Marchese stored some bottles away, and
when he opened them in the early 1960s he was treated to a pleas-
ant surprise: it turned out it was not Bolgheri's terroir that was re-
sponsible for his wine's less-than-spectacular reception; it was the
fact that Bordeaux-style wines--unlike the Sangiovese, which was
meant to be consumed young--improved with age. Emboldened by
this revelation, the Marchese began experimenting with planting his
Bordeaux-style vines closer to the sea, and later mixing in Cabernet
Sauvignon wines with the Cabernet Franc.
All the while, Sassicaia remained the Incisa della Rocchetta family's
