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Italian Cabernet Sauvignon: wines, places, names

Where Cabernet grows in Italy, the Bolgheri and Tuscan wines that made it famous, the producers to know, and how to say every name.

Alper Billik · Advanced Sommelier

Updated October 2026 · 4 min read · Edited with AI

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On this page

Where Cabernet grows in Italy
What is a Super Tuscan?
Bolgheri: the home of Italian Cabernet
The wines to know
How to say the names
What Italian Cabernet tastes like
Serving and food
Questions people ask

The short answer: Italy's great Cabernet Sauvignon comes above all from Bolgheri, on the Tuscan coast, where Sassicaia first showed the world what Italian Cabernet could be. Cabernet also gives backbone to famous Tuscan blends such as Tignanello and Solaia, and it grows across Italy, from Friuli to Sicily. Here are the places, the wines and how to say them.

Where Cabernet grows in Italy

Where	What to know
Bolgheri (Tuscan coast)	The heart of Italian Cabernet: Bordeaux grapes on a warm coast, cooled by the sea
Maremma (southern Tuscany)	Newer coastal estates making Cabernet and Bordeaux blends
Chianti Classico and central Tuscany	Cabernet blended with Sangiovese, often sold as Toscana IGT
Carmignano (west of Florence)	An old Tuscan DOCG where Cabernet is part of the rules, blended with Sangiovese
North-east (Friuli, Veneto, Alto Adige, Trentino)	Cooler Cabernet, sometimes with a green, herbal edge
Piedmont, Sicily and beyond	Smaller amounts, from individual producers

Bolgheri (Tuscan coast): What to knowThe heart of Italian Cabernet: Bordeaux grapes on a warm coast, cooled by the sea

Maremma (southern Tuscany): What to knowNewer coastal estates making Cabernet and Bordeaux blends

Chianti Classico and central Tuscany: What to knowCabernet blended with Sangiovese, often sold as Toscana IGT

Carmignano (west of Florence): What to knowAn old Tuscan DOCG where Cabernet is part of the rules, blended with Sangiovese

North-east (Friuli, Veneto, Alto Adige, Trentino): What to knowCooler Cabernet, sometimes with a green, herbal edge

Piedmont, Sicily and beyond: What to knowSmaller amounts, from individual producers

What is a Super Tuscan?

In the 1970s, some Tuscan producers made red wines outside the rules of the time: with Cabernet Sauvignon and other French grapes, or with Sangiovese aged in small French barrels. Because they broke the rules, they had to be sold as simple table wine, yet they became some of Italy's most sought-after bottles. The press called them Super Tuscans. Today most carry Toscana IGT or, in Bolgheri, the Bolgheri DOC. Some are Bordeaux-style blends with no Sangiovese at all; others are Sangiovese with a share of Cabernet.

Bolgheri: the home of Italian Cabernet

Bolgheri is a small village near the coast in the province of Livorno. Its vineyards sit between the sea and the hills, on mixed soils of gravel, sand and clay, with sea breezes that cool the nights. It is Bordeaux grape country: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc lead the blends.

Sassicaia started it. The Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta planted Cabernet at Tenuta San Guido for his own table; the first vintage sold to the public was 1968. In 2013 it received its own denomination, Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC, which requires at least 80% Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wines to know

Wine	Producer	Where	The grapes
Sassicaia	Tenuta San Guido	Bolgheri	Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with Cabernet Franc
Ornellaia	Tenuta dell'Ornellaia	Bolgheri	Bordeaux blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
Guado al Tasso	Antinori	Bolgheri	Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, sometimes Petit Verdot
Ca' Marcanda wines	Gaja	Bolgheri	Bordeaux grapes; Gaja's Tuscan coastal estate since 1996
Solaia	Antinori	Chianti Classico area	Cabernet Sauvignon led, with Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc
Tignanello	Antinori	Chianti Classico area	Sangiovese led, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc
Darmagi	Gaja	Langhe, Piedmont	Cabernet Sauvignon in Nebbiolo country

Sassicaia: ProducerTenuta San Guido; WhereBolgheri; The grapesMostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with Cabernet Franc

Ornellaia: ProducerTenuta dell'Ornellaia; WhereBolgheri; The grapesBordeaux blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot

Guado al Tasso: ProducerAntinori; WhereBolgheri; The grapesCabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, sometimes Petit Verdot

Ca' Marcanda wines: ProducerGaja; WhereBolgheri; The grapesBordeaux grapes; Gaja's Tuscan coastal estate since 1996

Solaia: ProducerAntinori; WhereChianti Classico area; The grapesCabernet Sauvignon led, with Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc

Tignanello: ProducerAntinori; WhereChianti Classico area; The grapesSangiovese led, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc

Darmagi: ProducerGaja; WhereLanghe, Piedmont; The grapesCabernet Sauvignon in Nebbiolo country

Tignanello (first vintage 1971) and Solaia (first vintage 1978) show the two sides of the Antinori family's thinking: Tignanello is Sangiovese with Cabernet, Solaia is Cabernet with Sangiovese. Ornellaia was founded by Lodovico Antinori; its first vintage was 1985. Frescobaldi, another old Florentine family, also makes Bordeaux-style reds on the Tuscan coast.

How to say the names

Name	Say it roughly like
Bolgheri	BOHL-geh-ree
Sassicaia	sahs-see-KAI-ah
Ornellaia	or-nel-LAI-ah
Solaia	soh-LAI-ah
Tignanello	teen-yah-NEL-loh
Guado al Tasso	GWAH-doh ahl TAHS-soh
Antinori	ahn-tee-NOR-ee
Frescobaldi	fres-koh-BAHL-dee
Gaja	GUY-ah
Ca' Marcanda	kah mar-KAHN-dah
Maremma	mah-REM-mah
Carmignano	kar-meen-YAH-noh

Bolgheri: Say it roughly likeBOHL-geh-ree

Sassicaia: Say it roughly likesahs-see-KAI-ah

Ornellaia: Say it roughly likeor-nel-LAI-ah

Solaia: Say it roughly likesoh-LAI-ah

Tignanello: Say it roughly liketeen-yah-NEL-loh

Guado al Tasso: Say it roughly likeGWAH-doh ahl TAHS-soh

Antinori: Say it roughly likeahn-tee-NOR-ee

Frescobaldi: Say it roughly likefres-koh-BAHL-dee

Gaja: Say it roughly likeGUY-ah

Ca' Marcanda: Say it roughly likekah mar-KAHN-dah

Maremma: Say it roughly likemah-REM-mah

Carmignano: Say it roughly likekar-meen-YAH-noh

What Italian Cabernet tastes like

Bolgheri: ripe blackcurrant and black cherry, Mediterranean herbs, cedar from the oak, firm but polished tannins.
Blended with Sangiovese: brighter red cherry and higher acidity, with Cabernet adding colour and grip.
From the cooler north-east: lighter, with more herbal and green-pepper notes.

For Cabernet around the world, see Cabernet Sauvignon wines. For Italy's own red grape, see Sangiovese.

Serving and food

Serve at 16 to 18 °C. Young Bolgheri reds open up with an hour in a decanter.
Use a large Bordeaux or universal glass. See the best wine glasses.
With food: bistecca alla fiorentina, lamb with rosemary, wild boar ragù, aged Pecorino.

Ask SOMM DIGI AI about Italian wine Italy for Level 1

Questions people ask

Does Italy make Cabernet Sauvignon?

Yes. The most famous examples come from Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast, such as Sassicaia and Ornellaia, and Cabernet is also blended with Sangiovese across Tuscany and grown in many other regions.

What was the first Super Tuscan?

Sassicaia, from Tenuta San Guido in Bolgheri, is usually seen as the first: its first commercial vintage was 1968. Tignanello followed with the 1971 vintage.

Is Sassicaia 100% Cabernet Sauvignon?

No. It is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with some Cabernet Franc. Its own DOC, Bolgheri Sassicaia, requires at least 80% Cabernet Sauvignon.

What is the difference between Tignanello and Solaia?

Both are Antinori wines from the same estate. Tignanello is mostly Sangiovese with some Cabernet; Solaia is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with some Sangiovese.

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