100 Point (LG) 2018 Antinori Tignanello Futures

FINEST TIGNANELLO TO DATE!

“We're thrilled to have our first offer of the 2018 Tignanello, the iconic wine from the Antinori family. Tignanello, considered by many to be the first Super Tuscan, is still the benchmark in the region. The 2018 Tignanello earned its first 100 point review, which is the highest score ever for Tignanello. I believe it is one of the winery's top three finest efforts ever. Antonio Galloni of Vinous gushes about the ‘breathtaking purity’ of the 2018 Tignanello. He says that it is ‘all class, all the way. In many ways, the 2018 reminds me of the 2004 because of its finesse , but it has an extra degree of nuance that reflects important strides that have been made at the estate in the intervening years.’

There was a lovely shift in the winemaking process with the 2018 Tignanello and that was to focus on the elegance of a Sangiovese driven wine. The winery has cut back on the heavily toasted barrels, allowing the noble variety to shine. This is a more elegant and well-structured bottle of Tignanello – it is one of the finest Tignanellos ever. While you will want to try a bottle as soon as it lands, this is one for the cellars!” – Lance Montalto, The Wine House

2018 Tignanello is expected to arrive in June 2021

100 Points: "A milestone in the contemporary Italian winery. The first Sangiovese aged in barrique, blended with untraditional varieties, the proof that great Bordelais could be created in Italy as well. A selection of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, shows an intense and velvety nose recalling blackberry and blueberry, scents of fresh pepper leaf, then licorice. Rich and fulfilling mouthfeel with iodized tannins and balsamic touches. Persistent aftertaste.” – Luca Gardini, Gardini Notes (March 2021)

97 Points: “The 2018 Tignanello is a wine of breathtaking purity. Impossibly silky and persistent, the 2018 is all class, all the way. In many ways, the 2018 reminds me of the 2004 because of its finesse , but it has an extra degree of nuance that reflects important strides that have been made at the estate in the intervening years. Winemaking today is more gentle, while new oak is also less intrusive. The result is a Tignanello that bristles with class. The purity of the flavors alone is mesmerizing. Bright red-toned berries, mocha, spice, cedar, new leather and licorice are some of the many notes that linger on a finish framed by silky, perfectly ripe tannins.

Aging was 16 months in oak, about 50% new. One of the recent developments at Antinori has been a move towards lower toast levels and a preference for longer aging of the raw wood. The blend is a very typical 80% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, with maybe just a touch more Franc than is the norm. At the same time, the Sangiovese is very much front and center. Production hovers around 330,000 bottles. Think about that number. It is more than any Bordeaux First Growth, more than any high-end Napa Valley wine, and equivalent to the production of 60 or so cult Cabernets taken together! Tignanello, in my view, is the single greatest high quality, estate wine made in scale.” – Antonio Gallomi, Vinous (February 2021)

96 Points: "This is so aromatic with flowers, such as cherry blossoms and roses, together with currants and blackberries. A medium-bodied Tignanello with very fine tannins and depth. Racy and very, very long finish. Pure and refined. Lots of blue fruit. Tight at the end, but showing a sophisticated and reserved style. Very refined. Drinkable now, but will age nicely.” – James Suckling (April 2021)

FROM THE WINERY

Climate: The 2018 growing season in Chianti Classico began with normal winter weather both in terms of temperatures and rainfall. Despite these climatic conditions, the vines began bud break a week earlier than seasonal averages in this area. Spring was characterized by frequent rain showers and lower than average temperatures, especially during the month of May, while June and July were hot and dry uninterrupted by extreme heat events. Scattered rainfall in the month of August and a dry, breezy spell in September and October allowed the grapes to progress to perfect ripeness guaranteeing excellent sugar levels and polyphenolic maturity. Harvest activities began around September 20th with Sangiovese and were completed on October 12th with Cabernet.

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 are 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 malolactic fermentation took place, accentuating aromatic finesse and complexity. The wine was left to age for approximately14 to 16 months in French and Hungarian oak barrels, in a combination of new and second-fill barrels. After this initial period of aging, the final blend was made and 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.

Tasting Notes: Tignanello 2018 is a deeply intense ruby red color. On the nose, it’s remarkably complex with notes of ripe red fruit, black cherries, sour cherries that merge with sweet hints of vanilla, mint and delicate sensations of white pepper and myrtle. Its palate is rich and well-balanced: supple velvety tannins are sustained by exceptional freshness that give the wine length, elegance and persistence of flavors.

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.

ABOUT TIGNANELLO

The Tenuta Tignanello estate is located between the Greve and Pesa river valleys in the heart of the Chianti Classico appellation., between the two hamlets of Montefiridolfi and Santa Maria a Macerata, 30 kilometers (19 miles) to the south of the city of Florence. In these 127 hectares (320 acres) of vineyards, the Antinori family, more than anywhere else, has expressed its principles and working philosophy: reconcile tradition and modernity with wines which are strictly and authentically tied to their territories of origin. Solaia and Tignanello, the two iconic wines of the estate, have been defined by the international press as “among the most influential wines in the viticultural history of Italy” and are a constant symbol for the Antinori family of a continuous challenge, one driven by pure passion.

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 feet (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.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: 10% CANCELLATION FEE APPLIES TO ALL ORDERS. NO ORDER IS CONFIRMED UNTIL ACKNOWLEDGED VIA CONFIRMATION EMAIL FROM THE WINE HOUSE UPDATING YOUR ORDER TO “PRE-ARRIVAL” STATUS. WE WILL SHIP ONLY TO STATES THAT ARE DEEMED LEGAL AT THE TIME OF SHIPMENT. *PRICES AND AVAILABILITY SUBJECT TO CHANGE. All payments for Futures (“Pre-Arrivals”) are due and payable in full at the time the order is placed (including sales tax, if applicable). Quantities are limited. If we cannot fill your order, your payment will be promptly refunded to you in full or we will attempt to find the same wine at market price, which will probably be at a higher price. Should any increases in Federal, State or Local taxes go into effect prior to delivery; the actual cost of such an increase will be added to the cost of the wine, payable on receipt of the wine. Thirty days after notification the arrival of your wine(s), if not picked up, they will be subject to a storage charge of $10 per case per month. It is your responsibility to notify the Wine House (310-479-3731, ext. 0, or wine@winehouse.com) of address and email changes. We are not responsible for unclaimed wine damaged by Acts of God 15 days (or more) after you have been notified of the arrival of your wine(s).