Villa Antinori Rosso 2014
Climate
The 2014 vintage was characterized by frequent precipitation and mild temperatures during the winter and spring months, leading to an early bud burst. High summer temperatures and continued rainfall slowed the ripening processes slightly and brought the vine cycle back into balance without compromising the health of the crop. The picking of the Sangiovese and the Cabernet began in late September and terminated during the first week of October.
Vinification
The grapes were destemmed and given a light pressing and the must then went into temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, where it fermented for five to seven days and then remained on its skins for an additional eight to twelve days. The fermentation temperatures were held to a maximum of 82° Fahrenheit (28° centigrade) for the Cabernet and Sangiovese grapes to best favor the extraction of color and soft tannins. In the case of the Syrah and Merlot, temperatures peaked at 77° Fahrenheit (25° centigrade) to best conserve aroma. The malolactic fermentation took place during the month of November. The wine was bottled during the month of June in 2016.
Tasting Notes
An intense ruby red in color, the wine shows a complex nose of ripe red berry fruit along with cherries and plums, all well integrated with the spicy sensation of vanilla and pepper created by the aging in oak barrels. The 2014 Villa Antinori Rosso, supple on the palate with soft and velvety tannins, is firm bodied and endowed with a long and tasty finish and aftertaste.
Awards
James Suckling 90/100 USA
The Wine
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 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.
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.
Climate
The 2023 growing season began with mild and rainy conditions throughout winter and spring. The month of April brought several cold spells that slowed down vine growth. May and June saw lower than average temperatures and repeated rain showers resulting in a delay in flowering of about one week. Overall, July and August were hot and dry, conditions that ensured good cluster development. The vines caught up to a normal pace in the growing season thanks to groundwater reservoirs replenished during spring. The grape harvest got underway several days later compared to 2022, it began mid-September with Merlot, continued withSangiovese and was completed with Cabernet around October 10th.
Vinification
Harvested grapes were destemmed, gently crushed, and then transferred to temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. Alcoholic fermentation was completed in 5-7 days. Controlled temperatures during fermentation never exceeded 25 °C (77 °F) coaxing the gentle extraction of color and supple tannins and preserving aromatic compounds. Maceration of the skins took place over a period of 8-12 days. Following malolactic fermentation, which took place in October and November, the wine was then transferred to French and Hungarian oak barriques for aging. Villa Antinori was bottled starting in July 2025.
Historical Data
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.
Tasting Notes
Villa Antinori 2023 is ruby red in color. Intense and captivating on the nose with notes of dark fruit, tobacco, juniper berries together with hints of spices, coffee and hazelnuts. The palate is mouth filling, pleasantly sapid with lively freshness and is defined by supple tannins. The wine closes with a persistent finish.
Villa Antinori
Villa Antinori was first of all an idea, a plan that envisioned the winemaking process: research and development on one side and historical heritage on the other. Villa Antinori is an important corner stone as its name is associated with over 100 years of history. At the same time it represents ongoing progress. The one essential principle is continuous research for increasingly higher quality standards. This idea produced two different wines that share a common passion for quality: Villa Antinori Rosso and Villa Antinori Bianco. Villa Antinori was originally produced in 1928 by Marchese Niccolò Antinori as a Chianti Classico that could age and that would improve over time. Soon after, Villa Antinori was found in the most prestigious cellars in embassies, royal houses, important hotels and restaurants. In 1931, Villa Antinori Bianco was made from traditional Trebbiano grapes. In the 1980’s a small percentage of Chardonnay was added in order to give the wine better structure.
Antinori Estates
Estates in Italy
