Tignanello, the vertical tasting

I attended an extraordinary vertical tasting of Tignanello, the most internationally recognized Italian wine brand and crown jewel of Marchesi Antinori, about which I recently wrote on the Cervaro della Sala 2005.

Tignanello was born in the early 1970s as a response to the stagnation of the consortium that stubbornly insisted – and would continue to do so for years – on requiring the addition of white grape varieties alongside Sangiovese in the blend of Chianti Classico. A wine that, preceded only by the Vigorello from Agricola San Felice, would contribute decisively to the ranks of Sangiovese-based wines of the Supertuscan movement. From 1975 onward, the blend stabilized, with some variation, at 80% Sangiovese and the remainder Cabernet.

The podere Tignanello is located in Mercatale in the municipality of San Casciano Val di Pesa. It is a 57-hectare vineyard, south and south-east facing, situated at an altitude of 350–400 meters above sea level. It features very significant slopes that ensure excellent drainage, with soils composed predominantly of galestro and alberese, along with some clay. The diurnal temperature variations between day and night, as well as between seasons, are also considerable – a factor that contributes decisively to the wine's aromas. Overall, the vines are always under mild stress, an essential condition for the production of high-quality grapes.

The wine's greatness also lies in the scale of the phenomenon. Each year, between 350,000 and 400,000 bottles are produced. Not exactly a vin de garage. Achieving such elevated quality at these volumes is anything but simple.

On to the wines. We tasted six vintages: 1998, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2012. The vertical was led by Daniele Cernilli and Renzo Cotarella.

In general, the wine retains certain characteristics that appear consistent across the various vintages. Common to all is the fruity and floral character typical of Sangiovese, with a certain verticality in the aromas and a palate that is always taut, never excessively broad. Acidity is always pronounced, so much so that Tignanello is a wine of consistently great longevity. A wine that reveals itself gradually, the more you taste it.

Sangiovese is the protagonist, but we also mentioned the Cabernet, which in this area is very different from that found on the coast and in Bolgheri in particular. Here the Cabernet chianteggia – takes on distinctly Chianti-like characteristics. In the cellar, macerations are long, sometimes exceeding 20 days depending on the vintage. There are no pump-overs, only punch-downs, as the philosophy is to limit mechanical intervention so as not to stress phenolic extraction. The contribution of oak is present, but always very well managed. Today, French and Hungarian barriques as well as tonneau are used.

Tasting notes.

1998 (Sangiovese 80%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%, Cabernet Franc 5%) – 13.5%

A reasonably good vintage, though not considered memorable – as was the case in Bolgheri or Bordeaux. Overall a long season. The slow ripening of the Sangiovese is reflected in the ripe fruit and, subsequently, in the intensity of flavor. The color is light garnet; on the nose we perceive sweet spice notes, vanilla but also cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, sweet tobacco. Then smoky tones. On the palate, the silkiness of the tannin is striking – never intrusive, almost understated. A wine of velvety structure, with a long, mentholated finish. An excellent example of a vertical wine, never jammy.

2001 (Sangiovese 85%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%, Cabernet Franc 5%) – 13.5%

A warm vintage and, despite a certain amount of rainfall, the vines worked under conditions of water stress. This vintage is a stylistically different wine from the others tasted: slightly overripe grapes and a particularly prominent vegetal component from the Cabernet Sauvignon make it more powerful. Garnet in color, on the nose it strikes with jammy red fruit, licorice, and bell pepper. Then hints of tobacco, graphite and black pepper. On the palate, tannin prevails over acidity and soft notes. A long mineral finish. Overall, it is a slightly dusty wine.

2005 (Sangiovese 85%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%, Cabernet Franc 5%) – 13.5%

2005 was a cool year, also somewhat rainy and marked by a vegetative delay in the vines. This is the first vintage in which stones were placed between the rows, responsible for increasing light reflection in the vineyard. Color intensity in the glass is also greater compared to the previous samples. Here the polyphenolic structure of the wine shifts – more elegant than powerful, with hints of sweet spice, aromatic herbs, ripe cherry. This is then followed by a eucalyptus-like balsamic note. Agile gustatory structure, with a finish featuring toasty returns.

2007 (Sangiovese 80%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%, Cabernet Franc 5%) – 14%

A warm vintage from winter onward, but with a very regular progression. In particular, the summer passed without notable heat spikes, consistently around 30°C. This regularity translates into a pleasantness of the aromas, with appealing fleshy fruity notes, with cherry and blackcurrant in evidence. Then enveloping balsamic hints, followed by pepper, leather and tobacco. On the palate, the tannin is still very much present, but within a context of substantial balance. Extremely long finish, with balsamic notes returning.

2010 (Sangiovese 80%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%, Cabernet Franc 5%) – 14%

A vintage considered very good, though rainfall was not absent. Careful selection of the grapes in the vineyard favored optimal phenolic ripeness. And this is clearly manifest in the wine, which is distinguished by magnificent tannins, masterfully managed in such a young sample. Spicy nose, good gustatory tension. A wine with a very long life ahead of it, still difficult to fully understand. Nevertheless, it perfectly embodies the stylistic vision of Tignanello.

2012 (Sangiovese 80%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%, Cabernet Franc 5%) – 13.5%

A vintage with a very unusual progression. Extremely hot until mid-August, when it began to rain and the grapes had yet to complete veraison. The harvest therefore yielded small-berried fruit. The wine presents fruity aromas, spicy notes of nutmeg. Then powder. On the palate still firm, with great tannin and a saline-acidic backbone that prevails over the alcohol-glyceric component. A great wine in potential, still challenging to interpret, to be revisited in the coming years.

In conclusion, a great vertical tasting – an experience difficult to replicate. My favorite vintage? I won't tell you. Vertical tastings serve to understand what a wine is made of, how it evolves over time based on the characteristics of different production years and how each year work was done in the vineyard and in the cellar. A truly great wine that I would never tire of continuing to taste.