Tignanello 2020 Marchesi Antinori cl 75

Vinification

The weather pattern of the harvest required, as usual, a great deal of attention both in the vineyard during harvesting operations and in the winery when the grapes arrived, where sorting and initial processing were essential to achieve an optimal final result. During the fermentation process in truncated conical tanks, the musts were macerated with extreme attention to the maintenance of aromas, color extraction and the management of sweetness and elegance of tannins. The racking took place only after careful, daily tastings. Once the skins were separated from the wine, malolactic fermentation was started in barrels to enhance the finesse and complexity of the aromas. The aging process took place in French and Hungarian oak barrels, partly new and partly second-hand, for a total period of about 15 months; after an initial aging in separate batches, these were assembled to complete the evolution in wood. The wine, made mainly from Sangiovese grapes and a small portion of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, aged for an additional 12 months in the bottle before being introduced to the market.

Historical Data

Tignanello is produced exclusively from the vineyard of the same name located at Tenuta Tignanello on 57 hectares of southwest-facing, limestone terrain with tuffaceous elements, at an elevation between 350 and 400 meters above sea level. It was the first Sangiovese to be aged in barrels, the first modern red wine blended with nontraditional varieties such as Cabernet, and among the first red wines in Chianti not to use white grapes. Tignanello, originally “Chianti Classico Riserva vigneto Tignanello,” was first vinified from a single vineyard with the 1970 vintage, when it contained 20% Canaiolo and 5% Trebbiano and Malvasia, and was aged in small oak barrels. With the 1971 vintage it became a table wine of Tuscany, was called Tignanello, and with the 1975 vintage the white grapes were totally eliminated. Since 1982, the composition has remained unchanged. Tignanello is produced only in the best vintages; it was not produced in 1972, 1973,1974, 1976, 1984, 1992 and 2002.

Tasting Notes

Deep ruby red in color, Tignanello 2020 strikes the nose for its complexity: notes of ripe fruit such as cherry, strawberry and blackberry accompany delicate floral hints of violet, mauve and rose; aromas of roasted coffee and cocoa powder complete the bouquet. The initial entry to the palate is vibrant, then enveloping and dimensional. On the finish, spicy notes of pepper and licorice combine with pleasant herbal sensations giving length and freshness.