In the glass
Aroma: dark cherry, violet, leather, tobacco leaf, sweet spice
Palate: black plum, dried Mediterranean herbs, graphite, cedar
Sangiovese-led Super Tuscan with a Bordeaux skeleton: violet-and-cherry aromatics, firm graphite tannins and a long savoury finish that rewards bottle age.
What it pairs with
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Bistecca alla fiorentina
Find bistecca alla fiorentina on TableJourney →
Firm tannins cut through the marbling of a thick T-bone while the wine's cedar mirrors the charred crust. -
Wild boar pappardelle
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Gamey ragu finds a peer in Tignanello's leather and dried-herb register. -
Aged pecorino toscano
Crystalline sheep's-milk salt sharpens the wine's red-cherry lift. -
Slow-braised peposo
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The Florentine peppered beef stew echoes the wine's spice register and matches its weight.
How to serve Tignanello
Allow 95 minutes from open to pour.
- Open and decant. Open 90 minutes before serving and pour into a decanter to aerate.
- Serve at 16-18°C. Cellar temperature (16-18°C) is the band for this style. Warmer pushes alcohol forward; colder dampens aromatics.
- Glassware. Use a large Bordeaux-style glass: the bowl shape rewards the wine's structure.
- Pair with. Bistecca alla fiorentina, Wild boar pappardelle, Aged pecorino toscano. Match the wine's structure to the dish's fat and salt.
History
Piero Antinori and Giacomo Tachis designed Tignanello as a deliberate break from Chianti Classico DOCG rules, blending Sangiovese with Cabernet and ageing in barrique. Declassified to vino da tavola at launch, the wine helped birth the Super Tuscan category and the eventual Toscana IGT.
- 1971 — First vintage released as vino da tavola, no Chianti Classico DOCG label
- 1978 — Cabernet Sauvignon added to the blend
- 1992 — Toscana IGT classification created, in part to accommodate wines like Tignanello
Facts
- Producer
- Marchesi Antinori
- Grapes
- Sangiovese (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%), Cabernet Franc (5%)
- Classification
- Toscana IGT
- Oak
- 12 to 14 months in French and Hungarian oak barriques, around one third new
- ABV
- 14.0%
- Price
- EUR 100 to 160 at retail
- Drinking window
- 5 to 25 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1971
Scores
- Wine Advocate 96 (2019 vintage, reviewed 2022)
- Vinous 96 (2019 vintage, reviewed 2022)
Frequently asked about Tignanello
What does Tignanello taste like?
On the nose, dark cherry, violet, leather, tobacco leaf, sweet spice. On the palate, black plum, dried Mediterranean herbs, graphite, cedar. Structurally full-bodied, firm tannins, high acidity with a long finish. Sangiovese-led Super Tuscan with a Bordeaux skeleton: violet-and-cherry aromatics, firm graphite tannins and a long savoury finish that rewards bottle age.
When should I drink Tignanello?
Drink 5 to 25 from vintage. Young vintages benefit from 30-90 minutes of decanting; mature bottles should be handled carefully for sediment.
What food pairs with Tignanello?
Bistecca alla fiorentina is the canonical pairing. Other strong matches include Wild boar pappardelle and Aged pecorino toscano. Firm tannins cut through the marbling of a thick T-bone while the wine's cedar mirrors the charred crust.
Is Tignanello vegan?
No: the producer uses traditional animal-derived fining agents (typically egg whites or isinglass) during clarification, so the wine is not vegan.
What grapes are in Tignanello?
The blend is Sangiovese (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%), Cabernet Franc (5%). The wine is classified as Toscana IGT.