Vinification
Climate
After a mild and dry autumn, the winter of 2012 in Chianti Classico was characterized by cold temperatures and normal rainfall, above all in the months of January and February. Spring began with rather cool and dry weather, causing a slight delay in bud burst and flowering compared to previous years. The months of April and May were marked by ample precipitation, a fundamental factor in enabling the vines to confront the lengthy rainless period which began in June and lasted all the way to the end of August, conditioning the development of vines both in terms of the growth of the canopy and the size and weight of the berries. The rain which fell during the very last days of August brought the vineyard back into balance, assisting the different grape varieties to proceed with regularity towards fully ripening, while the months of September and October, both mild in their temperatures and with normal rainfall, enabled the grapes to ripen properly both in terms of the accumulation of sugars and the physiological maturity of the skins. The harvesting of the grapes was concentrated in the period between September 20th and October 10th, beginning with the Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese and terminating with the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Vinification
The climate of the growing season, particularly that of the summer months, forced an intense and rigorous selection of the grapes both in the vineyard and in the cellar. This careful selection aided in raising the quality level of the grapes utilized for Tignanello which - already unique in themselves both in terms of their typical character and of their quality potential - produced wines of outstanding character and structure. The must, during its fermentation and maceration in the cellar’s conical fermenting tanks, was treated with a maximum care and attention to the freshness of the aromas, the extraction of the color, and the management of the tannins, aiming for elegance and suppleness as the primary characteristics to be achieved. After the wine had been run off its skins, it went into 60 gallon barrels in order to go through a complete malolactic fermentation in oak and bring out, to the maximum possible extent, the finesse and fragrance of the aromas. The aging period then began and lasted - in French and Hungarian oak barrels, partly new and partly used once previously - approximately twelve to fourteen months. During this period, the various lots, fermented and aged separately, variety by variety, took on their definitive character and were blended a few months before being bottled.
Historical Data
Tignanello is produced exclusively from the vineyard of the same name, a parcel of some 140 acres (57 hectares) with limestone-rich soils and a southwestern exposure at 1150-1325 feets (350-400 meters) above sea level at the Tignanello estate. It was the first Sangiovese wine to be aged in small oak barrels, the first modern red wine to use such non-traditional varieties as Cabernet in the blend, and among the first red wines from the Chianti Classico area to be produced without white grapes. The wine, originally called "Chianti Classico Riserva Vigneto Tignanello" (a Chianti Classico Riserva from the Tignanello vineyard), was produced for the first time from a single vineyard parcel in 1970, when the blend contained 20% of Canaiolo and 5% of Trebbiano and Malvasia, both white grapes, and the wine aged in small oak barrels. In 1971 it became a Tuscan red table wine rather than a Chianti Classico, and was called Tignanello. In the 1975 vintage the percentage of white grapes was definitively eliminated from the blend. Ever since 1982, the blend has been the one currently used. Tignanello is bottled only in favorable vintages, and was not produced in 1972, 1973,1974, 1976, 1984, 1992, and 2002.
Tasting Notes
The 2012 Tignanello is an intense ruby red in color with purple highlights. The wine is potent and complex on the nose with spicy notes which mingle with aromas of red fruit, smoke, and balsamic sensations; cherries, plums, liquorice, and rosemary are additionally felt. The flavors are mouth- filling and elegant with much volume and an excellent balance in the texture, and the oak is perfectly fused in the spicy and fruity finish and aftertaste.
Awards
James Suckling 96/100
Climate
After a mild and dry autumn, the winter of 2012 in Chianti Classico was characterized by cold temperatures and normal rainfall, above all in the months of January and February. Spring began with rather cool and dry weather, causing a slight delay in bud burst and flowering compared to previous years. The months of April and May were marked by ample precipitation, a fundamental factor in enabling the vines to confront the lengthy rainless period which began in June and lasted all the way to the end of August, conditioning the development of vines both in terms of the growth of the canopy and the size and weight of the berries. The rain which fell during the very last days of August brought the vineyard back into balance, assisting the different grape varieties to proceed with regularity towards fully ripening, while the months of September and October, both mild in their temperatures and with normal rainfall, enabled the grapes to ripen properly both in terms of the accumulation of sugars and the physiological maturity of the skins. The harvesting of the grapes was concentrated in the period between September 20th and October 10th, beginning with the Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese and terminating with the Cabernet Sauvignon.
The History
Back in 1928, Niccolò Antinori decided to christen this wine Villa Antinori, in honor of the family’s eponymous villa; it was a reflection of his own personal interpretation of Chianti Classico’s and Tuscany’s unique identity.
The Style
Villa Antinori was first crafted in 1928 by Marchese Niccolò Antinori, Piero Antinori’s father, as the Antinori family’s signature wine; an exceptional wine that can represent the family’s history, identity and continuity like no other. “Villa Antinori is a full-blooded Tuscan red […] which grapes are grown, mature and are harvested from our Tuscan estates and then fermented and aged in the Antinori family estates.” Piero Antinori.
The design
The label’s design represents our concept of home, our territory and Tuscany. “The French have châteaux, but we have Villas!” Niccolò Antinori cheerfully explained his choice for the illustration on the front label, an innovative design that broke with more traditional packaging conventions of that time.
In Honor of the Monaldeschi della Cervara Family
The wine’s name honors the Monaldeschi della Cervara family who was the historic owner of Castello della Sala in the XVI century.
An old railway station
The Vignaferrovia vineyard takes its name from a characteristic old nineteenth century railway station still located a short distance from the vines.
Grown in an area with Great Potential
Poggio alle Nane comes from a winegrowing area well known for its production of high quality wines, an area in which both Cabernet and Carménère best express their characteristics.
A red amidst whites
At Castello della Sala, an area historically important for white wines, Pinot Nero offers an authentic and typical expression of its variety with a strong territorial character.
An ancient grape variety
Aleatico, an old and traditional Tuscan grape variety grown since Etruscan times, is able to give a modern expression of itself in this unique territory.
Villa del Cigliano
Villa del Cigliano, located in the gently rolling hillsides of San Casciano Val di Pesa, in the province of Florence, has always been a symbol of strong family relationships; the villa has watched over the lives of generations of Antinori family members since 1546, the year Alessandro di Niccolò Antinori became the owner of the property.
The Design
The label was designed by Silvio Coppola in 1974 for the release of Tignanello 1971. The idea to commission this artist was discussed at an event at Castello della Sala in 1973. Silvio Coppola was an important Italian graphic and interior designer who was famous for his minimalist lighting fixtures and austere furniture but also for book cover designs for Italian publishing company Feltrinelli. Silvio Coppola was the perfect match for the job.
The Bolgheri Amphitheater
The Guado al Tasso estate’s most characteristic geographic feature is the Bolgheri Amphitheater, a beautiful plain encircled by rolling hillsides that faces the Tyrrhenian Sea. The shape of the territory creates a unique microclimate with beneficial temperature fluctuations. The estate’s vineyards are located at the foot of the amphitheater, an optimal position as cold nocturnal breezes cool down the vines. These particular climatic conditions give the grapes pronounced aromas and guarantee a perfect ripening of the berries.
The Barrique
Cervaro della Sala was one of the first Italian white wines to have malolactic fermentation and aging take place in barriques.
The Name
Poggio alle Nane’s name comes from the area where its vines grow. Duck breeding farms once existed and the name “Nane” is local dialect for duck. The vineyards extend from the hillside to the lake that are still part of the property.
Rocky soils
The Vignaferrovia vineyard grows on rocky, gravelly soils, a condition that naturally limits the grapevine’s growth rate and enhances the quality of the berries.
Winding vineyards
The 4 hectares (10 acres) of Pinot Nero grow along the hillsides shaping the landscape into a series of sinuous terraced vineyards.
A single letter symbol
“A” represents in one single letter the combination of the estate’s initials, Fattoria Aldobrandesca, and the grape’s variety, Aleatico.
The Signature
Marchese Piero Antinori, the current Honorary President, decided to have his father, Niccolò Antinori, sign the label as a sign of recognition for his father’s confidence in him.
Te Duce Proficio
Guado al Tasso added the Antinori family’s historic family crest on the capsules.
The Concept
The idea behind Cervaro della Sala was to craft a white wine able to age over time.
Sea breezes
Southwestern vineyard exposure allows sea breezes to mitigate hot summer temperatures and limit heat spikes.
Understanding nature
The particularly hot climate of Castello della Sala has forced agronomists to invent new ways to protect the grapes from the hot summer sun. The vines’ shoots are allowed to grow in length and are then folded over the plant so its leaves can shade the Pinot Nero grape clusters.
A Pursuit for Balance
“A” was crafted following the family’s pursuit for exceptional balance between Aleatico’s pronounced character and the unique qualities of the estate’s volcanic soils.
Te Duce Proficio
The historic family crest of the Antinori family
A Tribute to the Della Gherardesca Family
Guado al Tasso designed a label with the Della Gherardesca family crest and the initials DG as a tribute to the former estate owners.
The Enologist
In 1985, Renzo Cotarella, who was chief enologist at Castello della Sala at that time, made the first vintage of Cervaro della Sala.
A personal interpretation
The Antinori family wanted to give their own deeply personal interpretation of the historic wine, Brunello di Montalcino.
The Sun
Tignanello’s stylized “Sun” by Silvio Coppola
Antinori Estates
Estates in Italy
