2022 Tenuta Tignanello Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva

A beautiful wine from one of Italy's oldest and most renowned wineries, Marchese Antinori. This "noble" Chianti Classico Riserva comes from the renowned Tenuta Tignanello. The Chianti Classico Riserva Marchese Antinori is Sangiovese enriched with notes of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Renzo Cotarella and the extensive technical team at Marchesi Antinori are working hard to perfect their tannin management, and the beautiful results are clearly evident in this series of new releases of this classic vintage.

The growing season in Chianti Classico began with normal winter weather, both in terms of temperature and rainfall. Despite these climatic conditions, the vines began budbreak a week earlier than the seasonal average for this region. Spring was characterized by frequent rain showers and lower-than-average temperatures, especially in May, while June and July were hot and dry, uninterrupted by extreme heat. Scattered rainfall in August and a dry, windy period in September and October allowed the grapes to develop to perfect ripeness, guaranteeing excellent sugar levels and polyphenolic ripeness. Harvesting began in mid-September with Sangiovese and concluded in the first half of October with Cabernet.

Upon arrival at the cellar, the bunches were destemmed and gently crushed. The must was transferred to stainless steel vats where alcoholic fermentation took place for approximately one week. Maceration on the skins was managed with gentle pump-overs and délestage (rack and return) for intense extraction while preserving elegant and supple tannins. Malolactic fermentation, which occurred spontaneously, was completed towards the end of the year. The wine was then blended and aged in French and Hungarian oak barriques for approximately one year. Marchese Antinori Riserva was bottled and then aged in the bottle for a further twelve months before release.

The Tignanello estate is located in the heart of the Chianti Classico production zone, nestled between the Greve and Pesa river valleys. It covers nearly 800 hectares (319 acres), of which approximately 130 hectares (415 acres) are planted with vines. The vineyards consist primarily of the indigenous Sangiovese grape, along with non-traditional varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The Marchese Antinori is a historic wine from the Antinori cellars, produced from grapes grown on the Tignanello estate since 2011. It is a wine that presents itself as the full expression of the quality and elegance of Sangiovese from this part of Tuscany.

The Tenuta Tignanello Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva is ruby ​​red in color. On the nose, it offers intense notes of morello cherries, violets, and lavender, along with subtle hints of iron typical of Sangiovese and spicy notes of tobacco and leather. The bouquet is complemented by delicate hints of vanilla and cocoa powder. The palate is full-bodied, generous, and lively, with excellent, compact tannins that give it a long, lingering finish. An exceptional finish characterized by red fruit and licorice. Worthy of a Tignanello, but at less than half the price, it's highly recommended.