2008 Antinori TIGNANELLO - Tuscany ITALY - half bottle - RED

Oct 2010 Antonio Galloni 95 Drink: 2012 - 2027

Antinori's 2007 Tignanello is wonderfully ripe and seductive in its dark cherries,
flowers, spices, tobacco, sage, cedar, mint and minerals. This is as
opulent a Tignanello as I have ever tasted but there is just enough
acidity and structure from the Sangiovese to keep things from going over
the top. The wine's richness and warmth are such that in a blind tasting
I mistook the 2007 Tignanello for a wine from Maremma! The dense,
muscular fruit follows through to an impeccable finish with no hard
edges and impossibly fine, silky tannins. Simply put, the 2007 is a
magnificent Tignanello. The 2007 Tignanello is 80% Sangiovese aged in
300-liter French oak barrels (1/3 new), 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5%
Cabernet Franc, both aged in 100% new 225-liter French oak barriques.
Anticipated maturity: 2012-2027.

I continue to be amazed at the high average quality Antinori achieves
across a production that exceeds a whopping 20 million bottles per year.
This is a fabulous set of new releases. Long-time Oenologist Renzo
Cotarella could certainly have rested on his laurels; after all he is
already one of Italy's most celebrated winemakers. Instead, Cotarella
continues to improve quality in a meaningful way. The highlights are the
2007s, which are off the charts. I first sampled Antinori's 2007
Tignanello and Solaia two years ago, when they were still separate wines
from individual parcels, but even then it was clear these were going to
be special wines. Tasting Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon from the
Tignanello and Solaia vineyards, both in Chianti Classico, was an
unforgettable lesson in the uniqueness of each of these fabulous
terroirs. The Solaia vineyard in particular is clearly one of Italy's
greatest sites. Everything I tasted was loaded with personality and
sheer character. One of the recent major changes at Antinori is the
separate vinification of component wines for Guado al Tasso, Tignanello
and Solaia, which began with the 2004 vintage. In 2007 Cotarella took
that approach even further, with small parcel-by-parcel vinifications
that allowed for maximum flexibility when the final blend for each wine
was ultimately assembled. The 2007 harvest brings with it a number of
additional changes. Syrah has been eliminated from Guado al Tasso in
favor of Cabernet Franc, a grape that is proving to be exceptionally
well-suited to the Tuscan coast. If the 2007 is any indication, Guado al
Tasso is taking on a much more Bordeaux-like personality. The estate is
also gradually moving toward slightly larger barrels and less new oak
for their Sangioveses.

The 2006 Tignanello is especially opulent in this vintage. Masses of dark red fruit, scorched earth and sweet oak emerge as this richly-textured Tignanello flows from the glass. The wine possesses superb density; all it needs is another few years to come together. This is a remarkably vibrant and primary Tignanello. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. This is a beautiful set of wines from Antinori. All of these new releases are dense, primary and endowed with tons of fruit. At the same time, the firm tannins require at least a few years of aging to allow them to start melting away. The estate’s 2006s are beautiful, but they don’t appear to possess the elegance of the superb 2004s.