Tasting Notes
Climate
The growing season was initially characterized by a late autumn 2007 and winter 2008 which were neither particularly cold nor wet, conditions which favored an early budding of the vine compared to preceding vintages. The spring, with the first appearance of vine vegetation, was marked by adverse weather: frequent rainfall until the end of May. This caused a slowing of plant growth, but did not compromise the health of the vineyard and vines. June and July, instead, were very warm and only August saw occasional precipitations which assisted the vineyards to continue the development of the vegetation and the grapes. September and October were highly favorable to picking operations, thanks as well as the excellent daily temperature swings from daytime to nighttime, particularly helpful to Sangiovese and optimal for the overall quality of the grapes. The Sangiovese harvest began during the second half of September, while the picking of the Cabernet continued until mid-October; the harvested grapes were of very high quality and totally ripe. From the very beginning of fermentation operations, the musts showed fine aromas and flavors and a very interesting color, both of which promised wines of a notable quality level.
Vinification
Favorable weather during the harvest period created the preconditions for a rigorously selective picking of the grapes both on the basis of the different ripening times of the various grape varieties and of the specific character of the individual vineyard parcels. This allowed the harvesting operations to choose the bunches first during the picking itself and subsequently during the phase in which the grapes arrived at the fermenting cellars and went through a careful choice of the individual berries as well. A selection aimed at guaranteeing the fermentation of musts of the highest possible quality. The fermentation went forward with carefully timed pumping over of the cap of skins and delestage (rack and return) operations in the tanks in order to conserve all of the finest varietal characteristics and the excellent color present in the berries. All of the varieties were fermented at average temperatures of 81° Fahrenheit (27° centigrade) and with peak temperatures which never exceeded 88° Fahrenheit (31° centigrade) in order to preserve to the maximum possible extent all of the fragrance and varietal character of the fruit. The musts, from the very beginning, showed great complexity, and the fermentation added elegance, typical varietal personality, and suppleness of tannins to the complexity. After the fermentation was completed, the wine was run off its skins and went immediately into small oak barrels, where it underwent a completely natural malolactic fermentation before the end of January. The wines of the various grape varieties were then blended and aged for a further twelve months in small oak barrels, and the blended wine racked at regular intervals to maintain clean and focused aromas. A final selection, barrel by barrel, preceded bottling, and the bottled wine was then given an additional year of cellar aging before commercial release.
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
Tignanello 2008 is the wine of a vintage in which the grapes reached excellent levels of ripeness, and this is reflected in its intense ruby red color, its important aromatic concentration, its notes of ripe red fruit and jam accompanied by spice, vanilla, and liquorice. The palate is distinguished by a dense and elegant texture sustained by the vibrant acidity of the Sangiovese, by tannins of a lovely suppleness, and by an extremely long and lingering finish.
Climate
The growing season was initially characterized by a late autumn 2007 and winter 2008 which were neither particularly cold nor wet, conditions which favored an early budding of the vine compared to preceding vintages. The spring, with the first appearance of vine vegetation, was marked by adverse weather: frequent rainfall until the end of May. This caused a slowing of plant growth, but did not compromise the health of the vineyard and vines. June and July, instead, were very warm and only August saw occasional precipitations which assisted the vineyards to continue the development of the vegetation and the grapes. September and October were highly favorable to picking operations, thanks as well as the excellent daily temperature swings from daytime to nighttime, particularly helpful to Sangiovese and optimal for the overall quality of the grapes. The Sangiovese harvest began during the second half of September, while the picking of the Cabernet continued until mid-October; the harvested grapes were of very high quality and totally ripe. From the very beginning of fermentation operations, the musts showed fine aromas and flavors and a very interesting color, both of which promised wines of a notable quality level.
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
