Tignanello is the wine with which Piero Antinori, from the 1970 vintage onwards, reshaped Tuscan red wine: the first Sangiovese aged in barriques, and among the first to pair Sangiovese with non-traditional varieties such as Cabernet and to drop white grapes from the blend. Stepping outside the Chianti rules, it was classified as a simple table wine, and that is how it appears on this 1989 label.
It comes from the vineyard of the same name on the estate between the Greve and Pesa valleys, on limestone soils of marine origin. The formula of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc has been stable since 1982, and the wine matures in barriques before bottling.
1989 was a cool vintage, which gave a Tignanello more elegant and subtle than powerful. Today, over thirty-five years on, it is a fully tertiary wine: dried red fruit, tobacco, leather, earth and spice, with tannins now resolved. A historic witness to the pioneering years of the Super Tuscans, to be opened with care and served with simple dishes, roasts or aged cheeses.
At a glance: Sangiovese 85%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%, Cabernet Franc 5% · 12.5% ABV · 0.75 l · Antinori, Tuscany