Tenuta Tignanello: The Tenuta Tignanello estate is in the heart of Chianti Classico, in the gently rolling hillsides between the Greve and Pesa river valleys. It extends over an area of 319 hectares (788 acres), of which about 130 (321 acres) are dedicated to vines. Two of the estate’s prized vineyards are on the same hillside, Tignanello and Solaia, on soils that originated from marine marlstone from the Pliocene period rich in limestone and schist. The vines enjoy hot temperatures during the day and cooler evenings throughout the growing season. The estate’s two signature wines, Solaia and Tignanello, are produced from these vineyards and have been defined by the international press as “among the most influential wines in the history of Italian viticulture”. According to Marchesi Antinori, Solaia and Tignanello are an ongoing challenge and a never-ending passion. The Tignanello estate has vineyards of indigenous Sangiovese grapes as well as some other untraditional varieties such as Cabernet Franc. Tasting Notes: Tignanello 2019 is a deep ruby red color. Its nose offers exceptional complexity with notes of red fruits, strawberries and pomegranate that give rise to delicate aromas of apricots and peaches in syrup accompanied by elegant sensations of vanilla, dried flowers, chocolate, and pleasant spicy sensations of nutmeg. Its bouquet is completed by notes of coffee, caramel, and aromatic Mediterranean herbs. A graceful and mouth filling palate presents silky, vibrant tannins and imparts liveliness, sapidity and a lengthy flavor profile. The aftertaste is characterized by notes of roasted coffee and bitter chocolate. Vinification: This growing season’s climate trends challenged us to be focused and diligent both in the vineyards during harvesting activities and when grapes were brought to the cellar where sorting operations and initial winemaking processes were essential to achieve optimal results. During fermentation in truncated conical tanks, each individual must was macerated on the skins giving particular emphasis to preserving aromas, extracting color, and encouraging desirable tannins that were supple and elegant. Racking was performed after rigorous daily sampling and tasting. Once separated from the skins, the wine was transferred into small oak barrels where it underwent malolactic fermentation to accentuate aromatic finesse and complexity. Aging took place in French and Hungarian oak barrels, partly new and partly second passage, for a total of 14 – 16 months: after an initial period of aging the lots separately, they were assembled then completed barrel aging. Tignanello, made primarily with Sangiovese and a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, underwent an additional 12-month period of aging in the bottle before being released.