Tignanello was the first Sangiovese to be aged in barriques, the first contemporary red wine blended with untraditional varieties, specifically Cabernet and one of the first red wines in the Chianti Classico region that didn’t use white grapes. Tignanello is a milestone and set the trend for many other "super tuscans" that followed. It’s produced with a selection of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Vinification: 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. Racking was performed after rigorous daily sampling and tasting. 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. After this initial period of aging, the final blend was made and then completed barrel aging. Tignanello, made primarily with Sangiovese and a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, underwent an additional 12-month period of aging in the bottle before being released.

Weather:The 2018 growing season in Chianti Classico began with normal winter weather both in terms of temperatures and rainfall. Despite these climatic conditions, the vines began bud break a week earlier than seasonal averages in this area. Spring was characterized by frequent rain showers and lower than average temperatures, especially during the month of May, while June and July were hot and dry uninterrupted by extreme heat events. Scattered rainfall in the month of August and a dry, breezy spell in September and October allowed the grapes to progress to perfect ripeness guaranteeing excellent sugar levels and polyphenolic maturity. Harvest activities began mid-September with Sangiovese and was completed in the first half of October with Cabernet.

Technical Information:
Grape Varieties: 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc
Production: 320,000

Tasting Note: 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.

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”. According to Marchesi Antinori, Solaia and Tignanello are an ongoing challenge and a never-ending passion. The Tignanello estate has vineyards of indigenous Sangiovese grapes as well as some other untraditional varieties such as Cabernet Franc.