2018 Antinori, Tignanello

ABOUT THE WINE. The Tenuta Tignanello estate lies in the heart of the Chianti Classico region; set in the rolling hills between the Greve and Pesa river valleys and enjoying hot days and cool evenings throughout the growing season. The wine itself was first produced in 1970 from a single vineyard parcel and continues to only be bottled in favourable vintages – hence no 1992 or 2002. Tignanello was the first Sangiovese to be aged in small oak barrels, the first contemporary red to be blended with non-traditional varieties and one of the first red wines of the region that didn’t incorporate a portion of white grapes into the blend (a practice now prohibited). It continues to be produced with a selection of the estates finest Sangiovese (blended with a smaller percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc); and though justifiably described as ground-breaking since 1971 it remains classified as a Tuscan red table wine rather than a Chianti Classico as a result. The estates two signature wines Solaia and Tignanello have been described – with good reason – as ‘among the most influential wines in the history of Italian viticulture’.. TASTING NOTES. 2018 is a reflection of a brilliantly sunny year, with a deeply intense and remarkably complex bouquet with notes of ripe black & sour cherries. Accompanied by the minty, vanilla notes of the French oak ageing, it strikes a great balance for a very structured vintage. Its rich body with its supple velvety tannins is sustained by the exceptional freshness that leads to a finish that's everlasting, leaving notes of dried currants and sweet vanilla. A rewarding wine now, but promises so much potential for decades to come.. FOOD PAIRING. Grilled Porterhouse Steak with fricassée of wild ceps, wild boar ragù or seared tuna with cannellini beans & rosemary.