Antinori - Tignanello 2021 (750ml)
Tignanello is ruby red with intense purple hues. The nose is complex: notes of ripe plums, blackberries and candied orange peels lead to pleasant hints of dark chocolate, caramel, and licorice. Sweet hints of tobacco complete the impressive bouquet. The palate is rich, sophisticated, intense and is defined by supple vibrant tannins followed by a long persistent finish.
Antinori Description
The 2021 vintage from Chianti Classico will be remembered for a long slow-paced season: a vintage that promises power and finesse. Temperatures during the winter months were not excessively cold and were accompanied by rain showers that lasted up until the end of March. The beginning of spring triggered early bud break, but cool, dry weather in April slowed down the vines’ vegetative cycle. May and June followed normal weather patterns, not too hot, with scattered precipitation that guaranteed excellent flowering and fruit set of all grape varieties in Tenuta Tignanello’s vineyards. Overall, summer was hot and dry, especially during August but towards the end of the month, occasional rainfall provided ideal conditions for the vines to begin the ripening phase. September and October were picture perfect: sunny skies, no heat spikes, refreshing breezes and cool nighttime temperatures that allowed the grapes to gradually progress to peak ripeness. Overall, the 2021 vintage is considered to be one of the best vintages ever. Harvesting operations began during the last half of September for Sangiovese and were completed October 20th with Cabernet.
Wine Advocate: 98 Points
First made in 1971, this legendary Italian wine now celebrates its 50th birthday. Happy Birthday, Tignanello! The Marchesi Antinori 2021 Tignanello (made with 79% Sangiovese, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc) pulls on all the heartstrings. To be released in May, the wine shows a quintessentially pretty taste profile with tart fruit flavors, redcurrant, tea leaf, heritage rose, crushed white pepper, licorice, nutmeg, clove and chopped mint. It opens slowly to reveal more richness and exuberance with time, becoming downright voluptuous and heady a short while later. The through line, however, remains the bright freshness and minerality of Sangiovese. Compared to the 2018 vintage (which I also loved), this vintage has more overall fruit weight and volume.
Vinous: 98 Points
#8 Vinous Top 100 Wines of 2024
The 2021 Tignanello is every bit as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel and then just after bottling. Silky and polished, with exceptional finesse, the 2021 has all the pedigree to become a modern benchmark for Tignanello and Italian wine more broadly. Bright dark red fruit, blood orange, spice, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco all soar out of the glass, framed by a discreet touch of French oak that adds raciness. In some vintages, the elements are discernible. in 2021, it is the total harmony of the wine that makes the strongest and deepest impression. The 2021 spent 17 months in wood, three months in neutral oak durking the malolactic fermentation and then 14 months (50% new) for the rest of its aging. Superb.
Antinori turned out a dazzling collection of 2021s under the leadership of CEO Renzo Cotarella and technical directors Dora Pacciani and Sara Pontremolesi. Tignanello, long a flagship here, takes its place as one of the top wines of the year because of its quality and production of around 350,000 bottles, a remarkable achievement for a wine made from 100% estate fruit.
Wine Spectator: 97 Points
#3 Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2024
Laced with pure cherry, strawberry, graphite and tobacco aromas and flavors, this red is beautifully supported by a backbone of vibrant acidity and taut, refined tannins. Everything is framed by vanilla and toasty oak in the best sense, revealing harmony, with a long, orange-tinged finish and, yes, even drinkability at this stage. Best to give this a few more years in the bottle.
The 2021 vintage marks the 50th anniversary of this iconic super Tuscan, the brainchild of Piero Antinori with the help of the late Giacomo Tachis and Bordeaux enologist Émile Peynaud. A game changer for Tuscany and Italy, Tignanello remains one of Italy’s greatest reds, revealing added finesse and purity from this superb harvest. Antinori CEO and head winemaker Renzo Cotarella considers 2021 his best vintage in a storied career. He and the Antinori team continue to refine the oak treatment, and earlier blending of the grape varieties used (Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc) has improved both the precision and expression of the Tignanello vineyard.
James Suckling: 96 Points
The currants and spices are very pretty, with some hazelnut undertones. Medium- to full-bodied with juicy tannins and a flavorful finish. Very structured for a Tignanello, with medium chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Very polished and curated with a deft winemaking hand coming through. Needs three or four years to soften, but it’s all there.
