Marchesi Antinori Tignanello 2018
Grape Varietals & Region: Made primarily with Sangiovese, blended with a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The Tenuta Tignanello estate is in the heart of Chianti Classico, in the gently rolling hillsides between the Greve and Pesa river valleys. It extends over an area of 319 hectares (788 acres), of which about 130 (321 acres) are dedicated to vines. Two of the estate’s prized vineyards are on the same hillside, Tignanello and Solaia, on soils that originated from marine marlstone from the Pliocene period rich in limestone and schist. The vines enjoy hot temperatures during the day and cooler evenings throughout the growing season. The estate’s two signature wines, Solaia and Tignanello, are produced from these vineyards and have been defined by the international press as “among the most influential wines in the history of Italian viticulture”.
Taste Profile: Antinori Tignanello 2018 is a deeply intense ruby red color. On the nose, it’s remarkably complex with notes of ripe red fruit, black cherries, sour cherries that merge with sweet hints of vanilla, mint and delicate sensations of white pepper and myrtle. Its palate is rich and well-balanced: supple velvety tannins are sustained by exceptional freshness that give the wine length, elegance and persistence of flavors.
Winemaking Process: During fermentation in truncated conical tanks, each individual must was macerated on the skins giving particular emphasis to preserving aromas, extracting color, and encouraging desirable tannins that are supple and elegant. Once separated from the skins, the wine was transferred into small oak barrels where malolactic fermentation took place, accentuating aromatic finesse and complexity. The wine was left to age for approximately 14 to 16 months in French and Hungarian oak barrels, in a combination of new and second-fill barrels. The wine underwent an additional 12-month period of aging in the bottle before being released.