Antinori Tignanello 2016

Tignanello is the wine that started the Super Tuscan revolution. Marchese Piero Antinori made it first in 1971, from the family’s namesake estate, and it was a turning point in Italian wine: the first contemporary Chianti-zone red to age Sangiovese in French barriques and blend it with Cabernet, and one of the first in Chianti Classico to leave out the traditional white grapes. The vineyard sits between the Greve and Pesa valleys at 350 to 400 metres, on lime-rich alberese soils in the Chianti Classico zone, with warm days and cool evenings, and it is the source of both Tignanello and its neighbour Solaia, which Antinori launched in 1978. It is still labelled Toscana IGT, not Chianti Classico, even though the appellation rules have since changed to accommodate wines like it. The blend is Sangiovese-led, at about 80 to 85%, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, aged in French oak, with a further period in bottle before release.

The result is the best of both worlds, with Sangiovese’s bright red fruit and freshness and the Cabernets’ depth and polish. Expect an intense ruby colour and aromas of ripe cherry, blackcurrant and plum, lifted by violet and rose, with tobacco, leather, graphite, cocoa and a hint of vanilla. The palate is vibrant and balanced, with silky, refined tannins, bright acidity and a long, savoury, persistent finish, often with blood orange and roasted hazelnut.