| Region of production: | Chianti Classico |
| Winery Location: | San Casciano Val di Pesa, Florence |
| Year Established: | 1385 (Antinori), 1970 (first Chianti Classico vintage) |
Vineyard Holdings
- Tenuta Tignanello (77 ha): Planted to Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Trebbiano, and Malvasia at 400 meters elevation. Southwest-facing slopes with marine loam soils rich in limestone and clay. A contiguous 20-ha plot known as the sunniest part is dedicated to the production of Solaia.
- Peppoli (100 ha): 50 ha planted to vines, mainly Sangiovese with a small amount of Syrah, Merlot, and Malvasia.
- Badia a Passignano (220 ha): 56 ha planted to vineyards, 100% Sangiovese.
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Tignanello Toscana IGP: 75 to 85% Sangiovese plus Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. First produced in 1970 as Chianti Classico Riserva Vigneto Tignanello. Bottled as a Tuscan red table wine and renamed Tignanello in 1971. White grapes were eliminated from the blend with the 1975 vintage. Current blend established in 1982. Aged in a mix of new and one-year-old French and Hungarian oak for 14 to 18 months. Bottled only in favorable vintages.
- Solaia Toscana IGP: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Aged in new French oak for 18 months. Inaugural vintage 1978. For the 1978 and 1979 vintages, the wine was 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc. In 1980, 20% Sangiovese was added; the blend has been identical since.
- Peppoli Chianti Classico DOCG: 90% Sangiovese, 10% Syrah and Merlot, with Malvasia sometimes added. Varieties are fermented separately in stainless steel, then blended before aging primarily in large Slavonian oak, with 10% in small barriques. Inaugural vintage 1985.
- Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Gran Selezione: 100% Sangiovese. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks on the skins for 10 days, with an additional two weeks on skins prior to being pressed into large oak tanks. Racked into Hungarian oak barriques for a minimum of one year. Inaugural vintage 1987. Bottled as Chianti Classico Riserva until 2009. It is now a Gran Selezione every year.
Average Total Production
- N/A
Summary
The Antinori family’s history of winemaking dates back to 1385; today, 26 generations of the family have managed the company. Marchesi Antinori owns four separate properties within Chianti Classico. The Tignanello estate, home to the production of the family’s most prized bottling of the same name, produced its first vintage in 1970. Tignanello was the first Tuscan red to be matured in barrique, and among the first few to incorporate international varieties into the blend and eschew white varieties. Marchesi Antinori acquired the Peppoli estate in Sambuca Val di Pesa and the Badia a Passignano estate in Tavarnelle Val di Pesa in the 1980s. In 2012, the new, ultra-modern Villa Antinori opened its doors. It is located along the SR2 highway, encircled by the three other estates. Today, Piero Antinori manages the estate with his daughters Albiera, Allegra, and Alessia.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Modern winemaking equipment plays an important role for Marchesi Antinori. Fermentations are carried out in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks or large conical 6,000-liter wooden tanks. For the top wines like Tignanello and Solaia, the grapes are rigorously sorted.
Producer Website: Antinori nel Chianti Classico