Marchesi Antinori 2023 Tignanello Toscana IGT 750ml

There arewines that are simply very good,and there are wines that change thecourse of an entire country's winehistory. Tignanello is one of perhapsfive or six wines produced anywhere inthe world in the 20th century thatgenuinely belong in the secondcategory.

In 1970, Piero Antinori —working with the legendary enologistGiacomo Tachis and Bordeaux consultantÉmile Peynaud — produced aChianti Classico Riserva from asingle vineyard parcel that was alreadydifferent from everything the ChiantiClassico production rules permitted:aged in small oak barrels (barriques)rather than the large Slavonian casksthe appellation required. By 1971 theblend included Cabernet Sauvignonalongside Sangiovese — an untraditionalvariety the Chianti Classicorules did not permit. By 1975 they hadremoved the white grapes that Chiantiregulations required. By 1978 the winewas no longer a Chianti Classico atall. It was classified as a simple"vino da tavola" — atable wine, Italy's most basicdesignation — despite being producedfrom one of Tuscany's finestsingle vineyards, with the world'sfinest enological expertise applied toevery decision in its making.

The wineworld noticed immediately. Tignanello's critical recognition as one of Italy's finest red wines despite its lowly vino da tavola classification forced the creation of the IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) designation — a new category that could officially honor wines that were too progressive for existing DOC and DOCG rules. Tignanello became, definitionally, the first Super Tuscan. Every SuperTuscan produced since — Sassicaia,Ornellaia, Masseto, Luce,hundreds of others — exists in acategory that Tignanello created.

The2023 vintage opens with intriguingnotes of ripe cherries,pomegranates, and oranges leading tohibiscus and violets,followed by cocoa, pencil lead, whitepepper, and cranberries. Entry on thepalate is precise and pure withjuicy, mouth-filling mid-palate andsilky supple tannins. The long savoryfinish delivers bloodoranges and roasted hazelnuts. The winethat created a category, in a vintagethat Antinori describes as offeringboth the energy of youthand the structure for remarkable aging.At Blackwell's.

Origins & Craftsmanship

TheAntinori family has been in thewine business since 1385— 26 generations of continuous familywine production, making this one of thelongest-established and the mostcontinuously operated family winedynasties in the world. The MarchesiAntinori today is led by PieroAntinori's daughters — Albiera,Allegra, and Alessia — whosestewardship of the Antinori portfoliomaintains the founding spirit ofinnovation alongside respect forheritage that Piero himself embodied increating Tignanello.

Tignanello isproduced exclusively from the vineyardof the same name — a single parcel ofapproximately 77 hectares (190 acres)within the Tenuta Tignanello estate,situated in the heart of ChiantiClassico on the gently rollinghillsides between the Greve and Pesariver valleys. The vineyard's specificcharacteristics define the wine'sidentity absolutely:limestone-rich soils producing themineral tension and fresh acidity thatmakes Tignanello genuinely age-worthy;southwestern exposure at350-400 meters above sea levelensuring the specific combination ofsun accumulation for ripeness andaltitude-driven cooling for aromaticpreservation; and the specificsingle-vineyard concentration thatmakes this wine something genuinelydifferent from any appellation blend.

The blend — stable since 1982 — isSangiovese dominant with CabernetSauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Theproportions vary with each vintage butthe three-variety architecture isfixed: Sangiovese providing the Tuscanbackbone of bright cherry fruit, savoryherbs, and the specific earthiness ofChianti Classico's limestone terroir;Cabernet Sauvignon addingdepth, structure, and the dark fruitconcentration that Bordeaux varietiescontribute to Sangiovese-dominantblends; Cabernet Franc adding thefloral, slightly herbaceous, andspecifically aromatic secondarydimension.

The 2023 vintage began withcold, dry winter conditions andcool, rainy spring weather through thefirst half of June — a start thatproduced measured growth and healthyvine equilibrium. Thesummer that followedwas warm and dry, allowing theSangiovese and Cabernets to ripen withthe energy and freshness that the coolspring had preserved as a naturalfoundation. After harvest, the wineunderwent maceration, then wastransferred to small French oakbarriques (with a small percentage ofHungarian oak) for malolacticfermentation and just over 13 months ofaging — the French and Hungarian oakcomplement providing aromaticintegration without dominance —followed by an additional 12 months ofbottle aging before release. Tignanellois bottled only in favorable vintages:it was not produced in 1972, 1973,1974, 1976, 1984, 1992, or 2002.

Critics Reviews

No publishednumerical critic scores are availablefor the 2023 Tignanello at this timegiven the vintage's recent release. Thefollowing contextualizes the wine'sconsistent critical standing andprovides the confirmed 2023 tastingnotes:

Marchesi Antinori official 2023 tasting notes:
"Tignanello 2023 is anintense ruby red color. The nose openswith intriguing notes of ripecherries, pomegranates and oranges thatlead to delicate hintsof hibiscus and violets. The generousbouquet follows over to hints ofsweet spices of cocoa and pencil leadand closes with delicate impressions ofwhite pepper and cranberries. Entry onthe palate is precise,pure and reveals a juicy,mouth-filling mid-palate with silkysupple tannins. The long, savoryfinish delivers distinct notesof blood oranges and roastedhazelnuts."

Wine Spectator (2021 vintage — 50th Anniversary):
"Laced with purecherry, strawberry,graphite and tobacco aromas andflavors, this red is beautifullysupported by a backbone of vibrantacidity and taut, refined tannins.Everything is framed by vanilla andtoasty oak in the best sense." — Namedone of Wine Spectator's Top 10 MostExciting Wines of the Year for 2024.

Wine Advocate (2021 vintage — 98 Points):
"A dense, really pinpointed redwith plums and hazelnuts. Full-bodiedand very polished with fine,creamy tannins and a long, flavorfulfinish. Shows real finesse for thevintage."

Renzo Cotarella, Antinori CEO and Head Winemaker:
Described 2021 as hisbest vintage in a storied career. The2023 is described as offering"energy, freshness, and aromaticintensity" with "remarkable potentialfor aging in the bottle."

Wine Spectator (program-wide characterization):
"Tignanello remains one ofItaly's greatest reds."

99 Bottlz (independent program characterization):
"Tignanello, in my view,is the single greatest highquality, estate wine made in scale."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Intense ruby red with deeppurple highlights — the 2023vintage's energetic growingseason producing a color of genuineintensity and youthfulvibrancy. The nose opens with the2023's most immediatelydistinctive and the most specificallyfruit-forward quality: intriguingnotes of ripe cherries and pomegranateslead together — the Sangiovese's mostcharacteristic Tuscan red fruit in itsmost vivid and the most specificallyaromatic expression from the coolspring's preserved freshness.Oranges add the most memorablyunusual and the most specifically2023-vintage citrus dimension — bright,slightly exotic, and adding a freshnessthat distinguishes the 2023 fromricher, darker vintages. Hibiscus andviolets follow with the most delicateand the most specifically floralsecondary aromatics — the CabernetFranc's most characteristicallybeautiful contribution to theSangiovese base. Then thedepth arrives: sweet spices of cocoaand pencil lead add themost luxurious and the mostspecifically barrique-influencedsecondary qualities — theFrench oak's most refined and the mostelegantly integrated contribution.White pepper adds the most preciselySangiovese-varietal spice note.Cranberries add a fresh tartness thatreinforces the wine's overallsense of energy.

Palate
Precise,pure, and mouth-filling — theofficial 2023 tasting note's mostaccurate and the mostspecifically 2023-vintage-definitivepalate characterization. The entry isimmediately precise in the mosttechnical and the mostquality-confirming sense: the tanninstructure, the acidity, and the fruitarriving together in proportionsthat are exactly what theyshould be, nothing excessive,nothing lacking. Juicy mid-palatefollows with the mouth-fillinggenerosity of ripe Sangiovese fruitfrom a warm, dry summer —generous and approachable ratherthan austere. The silky,supple tannins are the 2023'smost consistently praised palatequality: the combination of thevintage's natural fruitconcentration and Renzo Cotarella'smeticulous winemaking producing atexture of genuine elegance andgenuine accessibility at a wine ofthis structural seriousness.Tobacco, graphite, and herbs fromthe broader Tignanello programprofile add the secondarycomplexity that every vintage of thiswine carries as a signature.

Finish
Long, savory, andorange-hazelnut persistent. Bloodoranges carry the close with the mostvivid and the most memorablyspecific citrus quality in theentire 2023 tasting experience— warm, slightly concentrated,and distinctly Mediterranean.Roasted hazelnuts add the mostspecifically Italian and the mostsatisfying nutty warmth. The finishis savory rather than simply sweet— the limestone terroir'smost enduringly honestcontribution at the close. Long,lingering, and entirely confirmingthat this wine, despite itsaccessibility in youth, has thestructure to age beautifully for adecade or more.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

The Sangiovesebackbone, limestone mineral tension,and savory finish make Tignanello oneof the most specificallyItalian-table-designed and the mostbroadly food-compatible prestige redwines in the Blackwell's section:

• Bistecca alla Fiorentina — the mostculturally and the most regionallyspecific pairing for ChiantiClassico terroir Sangiovese
• Wild boarragù with pappardelle — theTuscan hunting tradition's mostnatural wine match
• Lamb rack withrosemary and garlic
• Aged PecorinoToscano — the most specificallyTuscan cheese pairing
• Porcinimushroom risotto — the savory finishfinding its most natural earthycounterpart
• Grilled ribeye and primecuts
• Roasted duck with fig reduction