Italian Wine Merchant clients (and employees as well) are often challenged with trying to understand and articulate a clear definition of a wine that falls under the Super Tuscan comprehension. Maybe the first thing to accept though is that a straight-forward definition for Super Tuscan just doesn’t exist.

However, I wouldn’t leave you off there because even without a clear definition, there are commonly agreed upon guidelines. Generally speaking, Super Tuscans are the most prestigious wines that an estate makes outside of Tuscany’s strict DOC/DOCG standards. They can be made from 100% Sangiovese, but often they either include international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Syrah and even Pinot Noir.  These wines also stray from rigid aging requirements and techniques that often plague other esteemed wines grown in Italy (think of the stringent standards for Brunello or Barolo etc).

To get an insider’s handle on the terminology and technicality, I turned to Cinzia Merli from the acclaimed Le Macchiole estate (home of some of the most superior of Super Tuscans—Messorio, Scrio and Paleo) explains her take on Super Tuscans. To Cinzia, the name “Super Tuscan” originally categorized all those wines in the ‘70s and ‘80s without a DOC appellation. Noting that until the ‘80s in Bolgheri only whites and rosé were considered under the “disciplinare,” Cinzia suggests that all the other wines falling outside of these designations got the name Super Tuscans. Cinzia adds her personal insight, “Nowadays Super Tuscans are probably all those high-end, high-quality wines with few quantities.”

Because of the wealth of indigenous grape varieties that call Italy home (all 2,000 plus of them), it seems perhaps a bit indulgent to grow the International varieties that make up Super Tuscans. However, thirty to forty years after the birth of this nickname, we the consumers adore the wines of these popular varieties growing in Tuscany. Still, we might be prompted to ask why producers decided to stray from the ordinary and begin planting these varieties. Cinzia explains:

“We decided to grow international varieties because this area is for sure one of the most suited for grapes such as Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with expression deeply linked to the territory. The microclimate and the composition of the soil have been more than once considered the second ‘motherland’ for those traditionally considered Bordeaux grapes. For Le Macchiole the decision of producing monovarietal wines is based on the conviction that these could be almost considered ‘native’ varieties and that in this way we have the opportunity to express the terroir at its best.”

And there’s no disputing that these varietals have expressed the terroir of the region best. Super Tuscans, most particularly those hailing from Le Macchiole, have rapidly risen in esteem. No longer do they fight to just challenge Bordeaux’s wines; instead they meet them on a level playing field. Perhaps now it’s time to stir things up a little more; when describing her wines, Cinzia generally considers the estates, Paleo, Scrio and Messorio to be Super Tuscans, “just because they do not ‘follow the rules’ of the DOC law.”

“But,” she adds, “I would better call them ‘terroir wines,” deeply linked to the Bolgheri territory.” Cinzia could be onto something; making terroir, no longer strictly a noun, but an adjective to describe the next big thing in Italian wine.