Tenuta San Guido – Sassicaia
Le Difese is the entry red from Tenuta San Guido, the Bolgheri estate behind Sassicaia. A Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese blend grown at Castagneto Carducci, aged 12 months in oak, it drinks soft and approachable, with red cherry and cedar. A versa
Red cherry and raspberry lead, with cedar and tobacco from twelve months in French and American oak. The picture below blends Tenuta San Guido's own notes with the consensus of more than 5,500 Vivino reviews.
Le Difese opens on red cherry and raspberry, the dominant aromas across more than 5,500 Vivino reviews, lifted by the cedar and tobacco that mark its 12 months in French and American oak. James Suckling found violet and forest floor in the 2023, a fragrant edge the Sangiovese brings to the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Cherry
Plum
Raspberry
Tobacco
Leather
Oak
Cinnamon
Vanilla
ChocolateMedium-bodied and notably soft, true to head winemaker Carlo Paoli's description of an approachable, delicate structure. Cabernet Sauvignon gives blackberry and plum depth while Sangiovese keeps the acidity bright and the tannins fine, with chocolate and leather from the cask. Castagneto Carducci fruit reads riper in warm vintages like 2022.
The finish is fresh and clean rather than long, closing on red fruit and a savoury cedar note, what Wine Spectator called Tuscan scrub in the 2023.
Le Difese is the entry point to Tenuta San Guido, the Bolgheri estate behind Sassicaia, and even folds in selected lots from Sassicaia and Guidalberto. Vivino drinkers rate it 3.8 across more than 53,000 reviews and consistently praise its easy, food-friendly drinkability; this is a weeknight Tuscan red rather than a cellar wine.
Le Difese trades around 30 to 37 pounds across UK merchants, with the 2022, 2023 and 2024 vintages all in circulation. Live listings and stock are tracked below.
Six dimensions rate Le Difese against Italian-wine peers, from its strong food flexibility to its modest cellaring case as an entry Toscana IGT.
Medium tannin from Cabernet Sauvignon plus bright Sangiovese acidity make Le Difese a flexible match for grilled meat, ragu and hard cheese.
A soft, approachable Cabernet-Sangiovese blend with a recognisable estate name and no challenging structure; an easy first step into Tuscan reds.
At about 30 pounds the lowest live price carries the Tenuta San Guido estate premium over generic Toscana IGT; fair rather than a bargain (no category p50 available).
The convivial, food-friendly style the estate intends fits midweek meals, but the roughly 30 pound price tempers true everyday value.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.
A compact view of what the Toscana denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
Compare tracked offers from verified retailers at a glance. Stock is shown only where the retailer exposes it. Logos, sale pricing, and the strongest offer are surfaced first.
James Suckling scored the riper 2022 at 91 points and the fresher 2023 at 90; the youthful 2024 currently rates highest on Vivino at 4.1. Compare the years below.
The youthful 2024 currently rates highest of any recent vintage on Vivino at 4.1, in line with the estate's view that Le Difese is enjoyable even in its early months in bottle. Soft and approachable now, with room to settle through 2030.
The 2023 is the fresher, lighter-bodied side of Le Difese: James Suckling found red cherry, violet and forest floor at 90 points, and Wine Spectator flagged Tuscan scrub and tomato leaf. Bright and fragrant, it suits earlier drinking through 2029.
A warm, dry Tuscan growing season gave the 2022 Le Difese ripe, concentrated red fruit and soft, well-knit tannins. James Suckling noted raspberry and cranberry with cedar over a medium body and a crunchy finish; drink now to 2029.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
Le Difese is the entry red from the estate behind Sassicaia, and even folds in selected lots from Sassicaia and Guidalberto. The breakdown below shows what sits behind the price.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Toscana is in the IGT tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Toscana falls within Tuscany , covering Tuscany.
Le Difese carries the Tenuta San Guido name and folds in selected lots from Sassicaia and Guidalberto, which lifts it well above the 12 to 18 pound range typical of generic Toscana IGT.
Cabernet Sauvignon is grown on the estate at Castagneto Carducci in Bolgheri, with Sangiovese bought from across Tuscany; estate fruit and selective sourcing both add cost.
The wine spends a year in barrel plus three months in bottle, adding cask and cellar cost that unoaked entry reds avoid.
As the approachable, higher-volume entry of the range, Le Difese is deliberately priced below Guidalberto and Sassicaia, which keeps it near 30 pounds.
On a roughly 30 pound bottle, the 2.67 pound still-wine duty (15 percent ABV or under, 2026 HMRC rate) plus 20 percent VAT account for about 7 to 8 pounds of the shelf price.
Dishes that complement this wine
Medium tannin and bright acidity make this a meat, ragu and hard-cheese red. Each card below explains the structural reason the pairing works.
The Cabernet Sauvignon tannins in Le Difese bind to the fat and char of grilled beef, while the Sangiovese acidity resets the palate between bites. Fine, soft tannins mean it works with the meat without overpowering it.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · Ossobuco alla Milanese · Agnello Ragu Lucano · More pairings →
Sangiovese acidity is the classic match for tomato sauce, mirroring its brightness rather than fighting it. Le Difese has the freshness to cut through a long-cooked ragu and the soft body to sit alongside baked pasta.
Try with: Lasagna · Agnello Ragu Lucano · More pairings →
Aged pecorino is salty and fat-rich, and the acidity plus gentle tannin of this Tuscan red clears the palate while its red-cherry fruit echoes the cheese's nuttiness. A regional pairing that plays to the wine's savoury cedar edge.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · More pairings →
Medium body and fine tannin make Le Difese a comfortable partner for breaded, pan-fried veal: it has enough structure for the crust without the weight that would flatten the meat. The Cabernet adds depth, the Sangiovese keeps it lively.
Try with: Cotoletta alla bolognese · More pairings →
The tobacco and cedar from twelve months in oak bridge to the charred crust and tomato of a Neapolitan pizza, while Sangiovese acidity matches the sauce. An easy, food-friendly red, exactly the convivial role the estate intends.
Try with: Pizza Margherita · Pizza Diavola · More pairings →
Chilli heat amplifies the Cabernet tannin and makes the wine taste hard and short, while oily, delicate fish clashes with the oak and red-fruit tannin. This is a meat-and-cheese red, not a partner for spice-forward or seafood plates.
Skip with: vindaloo · sweet-and-sour pork · grilled mackerel · spicy Sichuan · Pairing guide →
With twelve months in oak and soft tannins, Le Difese is built for early drinking; recent vintages are best within a few years of harvest, through about 2030.
Peak around 2028. Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
An entry IGT with only twelve months in oak and soft tannins, built for early drinking rather than long ageing; the drink window closes around 2030.
£30.00 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 7 Jun 2026, 14:44 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · HighDrawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · MediumLe Difese is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. The Cabernet is grown on the estate at Castagneto Carducci and the Sangiovese is sourced from across Tuscany, giving a Bordeaux frame with a Tuscan soul.
Yes. Le Difese is the entry red from Tenuta San Guido, the Bolgheri estate behind Sassicaia, and even includes selected lots from Sassicaia and Guidalberto. First released in 2002, it is the most recent addition to the range.
It is a medium-bodied, soft red led by red cherry and raspberry, with cedar, tobacco and a little chocolate from twelve months in oak. Sangiovese keeps the acidity fresh and the tannins fine, making it an easy, food-friendly Tuscan red.
Grilled and roast red meat, tomato-led pasta and ragu, breaded veal, tomato-base pizza, and hard sheep's-milk cheese such as pecorino. Avoid fiery chilli heat and oily fish, which clash with the oak and Cabernet tannin.
Drink it young. With only twelve months in oak and soft tannins, Le Difese is built for early enjoyment within a few years of the vintage rather than long ageing; recent vintages drink well now and through about 2030.
Vivino drinkers rate it 3.8 across more than 53,000 reviews and praise its drinkability. Critics score recent vintages 89 to 92 points, with James Suckling giving the 2022 91 points for its raspberry, cedar and fine tannins.
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