Product Type: Red Wines
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Appellation: Toscana IGT
Producer: Antinori
Alcohol: 13.5% Grape Varieties: 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc
Closure: Cork

Producer: The Antinori family have been producing wine in Tuscany for six centuries, and exporting it for four. The purchase of the Tignanello estate in 1900 marked the beginning of a remarkable period of expansion which shows no signs of abating. Through judicious acquisition of vineyards and an uncanny knack for developing iconic wines, Antinori has become Tuscany's - arguably Italy's - pre-eminent wine producer, with an important presence in Piedmont, Lombardy, Umbria and Puglia as well as their Tuscan heartland.

Vineyard: Tenuta Tignanello is situated between the Greve and Pesa valleys in the heart of Chianti Classico. Of the 147 hectares of vineyards, forty-seven hectares of ideal marl and limestone soil are used for Tignanello itself. White stones have recently been laid under the rows, reflecting light back to the vines and improving the maturation of the grapes.

Winery: For all three varieties, fermentation took place at 27-31C. After devatting, the lots were transferred to new oak barrels for malolactic fermentation. The wine was then blended and aged for twelve months in barrels, racked and then tasted barrel by barrel before bottling. After another year ageing in the bottles, the wine was released.

Taste: Open, expressive aromas combining ripe red fruit and spicy notes. The palate is weighty, dense and vibrant with hints of black berry fruit. Long and lingering with hints of chocolate and citrus fruit in the aftertaste. With a fine texture and seamless oak integration, this is complex and sophisticated.

Press: 92 points, The Wine Advocate, January 2009
93 points, Wine Spectator, October 2009

Awards: 2 red glasses, Gambero Rosso 2010