TUSCANY IGT "TIGNANELLO" 2009 - ANTINORI

Appellation : Toscana IGT

Year : 2009

Alcohol : 13%

Region : Tuscany (Italy)

Format : 0.75 l

Grapes : 100% Sangiovese

Climate

Autumn and winter 2009 in the Chianti Classico area were characterized by a cold and rainy climate. The rainfall in the winter months guaranteed the soil a good supply of water for the spring which was mild and without sudden drops in temperature, allowing for regular budding of the vines. The summer began with rather rainy June and July, an exceptional situation in this area. The vegetation of the plants took a long time, but the small bunches were well formed and increased thanks also to the hot and dry climate of August. The grapes from the Tignanello vineyard began their ripening in the months of September and October which had ideal climatic conditions. The sunny and warm days combined with the strong temperature variations between day and night allowed an excellent but slow evolution of the grapes, requiring the Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes more days to refine their maturation. The harvests were concentrated between the end of September and the first fortnight of October, starting with the earliest parcels of Sangiovese and ending with the later Cabernet grapes. The quality of the grapes harvested and taken to the cellar was of a high level, so much so as to predict a year of great depth.

Vinification

After important and careful selections during the growing season, the grapes were harvested exclusively by hand according to the variety but also to the numerous variables linked to the terroir of the parcels, which determine harvest times and consequently different wine lots. The Cabernet Franc, the first vine to ripen, was harvested from 27 to 29 September, the date on which the long 12-day harvest of the Sangiovese began. The Cabernet Sauvignon was instead harvested from 10 to 14 October. Upon arrival in the cellar, the grapes were delicately destemmed and the berries, before being pressed, were carefully selected at the sorting table; here the attention to detail is at the highest levels, the grapes that are not completely ripe, a rarity in the 2009 vintage, have been eliminated so that only perfectly ripe ones arrive in the vinification tank. During fermentation and maceration, in the truncated conical tanks, the musts slowly transformed into wine, allowing the freshness of the aromas, the extraction of color and tannins to express themselves to the maximum. All of this requires great sensitivity, knowledge of the grapes and constant care of the product, which was taken off the rack only after careful and daily tastings. Once the skins were separated, malolactic fermentation began in barriques which enhanced the finesse and pleasantness of the wine. Thus began the aging process which lasted approximately 16-18 months in French and Hungarian oak barrels; during this period the different lots, vinified separately on the basis of the variety and viticultural variables, reached their maximum expression and were then assembled a few months before bottling.

Tasting notes

The wine has an intense ruby ​​red color characterized by violet reflections. The olfactory notes are expressed with hints of licorice, violet, violets and cherry in alcohol, vanilla, cocoa and sweet toasted. On the palate the aroma is persuasive, sapidity and freshness enhance an aftertaste of great persistence and finesse. Tignanello 2009 is a harmonious and elegant wine, an authentic expression of the Chianti area.