Antinori Group

Since the 2011 vintage, the Riserva Marchese Antinori has been produced entirely from grapes grown at Tenuta Tignanello. This has led to a reduction in production volume and a further leap in quality. A sparkling ruby colour; the bouquet reveals dark wild cherries, graphite, violets and spices. Smooth and round on the palate, yet very juicy; the French oak adds extra volume and body. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1994, whilst Lodovico Antinori was searching for suitable land to expand his Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, he discovered, almost by chance, the hills of Bibbona that were to rewrite his destiny as a winemaker. What he found there was not just land – it was a revelation. The soils – a complex symphony of clay and the legendary Bolgheri conglomerate – the orientation of the slopes, the salty breezes from the Tyrrhenian Sea – —all spoke a different language to the familiar Ornellaia terroir. Too different, too wild, too full of character for a simple expansion. And yet too fascinating to let go of.

From 1546 to 1800, Villa Cigliano was the family seat of the Antinori family in the province of Florence, the place where they first planted vineyards and pressed wine. The estate was then sold. Piero Antinori bought it back in 2011. What sounds like a sentimental gesture was actually a strategic decision: Villa Cigliano is located in the San Casciano UGA, the northernmost part of the Chianti Classico region, right on the outskirts of Florence. A terroir that gives the Sangiovese an accessibility and expressiveness that distinguishes it from the more structured sites to the south. In 2014, Antinori returned to the Chianti Classico consortium after almost four decades. Villa Cigliano is one of the most visible proofs of this commitment: 100% Sangiovese from a site that the family chose over five centuries ago as the first vineyard in the history of the house. Gran Selezione – the highest category of the appellation. 5,000 to 6,000 bottles.

The Castellina in Chianti UGA is located in the western heart of the appellation, a municipality on a ridge between the Arbia and Elsa valleys, with soils of silt, clay and sandstone that give the Sangiovese fullness and warmth. The slopes are sunny and the microclimate is warm. Anyone who works in Castellina knows that Sangiovese matures differently here than elsewhere in Chianti Classico. Antinori acquired the Buiano estate in 2017 – a relatively recent decision within the long-term Gran Selezione project, which comprises four individual vineyards from four different UGAs. No other Chianti Classico estate has such a broad territorial representation. Buiano is the most powerful, full-bodied expression of these four. 100% Sangiovese, 5,000 to 6,000 bottles.

High above Sambuca Val di Pesa, just three kilometres south of the famous Tenuta Tignanello, rises the venerable Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo – a bastion of faith since the 10th century, where Giovanni Gualberto, the founder of the Vallombrosan order, once lived and died. Here, where wine of exceptional quality was already appreciated around the year 1000, only the finest Sangiovese grapes thrive on calcareous soils with a clay content at an altitude of 300 metres. The historical importance of this place is documented in hundreds of volumes in the Florentine state archives – centuries of Sangiovese cultivation and rural life, preserved for eternity.

Guado al Tasso is not only the name of the winery, but also the historical term for a ford in the torrent on the Marchesi Antinori estate. In the Middle Ages, this was the name given to the place where one encountered the "tasso" (badger) while travelling through the water on horse and cart. This poetic place name came to symbolise a wine that combines depth and movement: A Bolgheri Superiore with provenance, history and attitude. Despite the summer heat, the 2022 vintage produced an astonishingly balanced structure. Selective harvest in the best parcels between the hills and the Tyrrhenian Sea, fermentation in stainless steel, followed by 18 months of ageing in new French barriques, followed by at least 6 months of bottle ageing.

In 2001, the brothers Piero and Lodovico Antinori, together with their nephew Niccolò Marzichi Lenzi, recognised the extraordinary potential of the hills of Bibbona in the upper Maremma. Instinct, passion and centuries of family experience led to a parcel-by-parcel study that would eventually become the birth of Tenuta di Biserno. The terroir of these 40 hectares at an altitude of 90 metres is of extraordinary complexity: mainly alluvial and clay-limestone soils that create the ideal environment for Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The different exposures and the distance from the sea characterise the varietal expression so strongly that the decision in favour of two production lines was obvious: Biserno – the most prestigious and representative wine of the estate – and Il Pino di Biserno.

Guado al Tasso presents itself with a warm-toned bouquet and an abundance of fruit that is just as convincing as its harmonious structure. Deep, dark, rich ruby-purple colour. Very clear and intense nose, with aromas of blackberries, cassis and dark cherries, underpinned by fine, spicy notes with hints of white pepper and leather. Very juicy on the attack and on the palate, with plenty of sweet flavour, elegant tannins and a very long finish. A finesse-rich red that offers maximum drinking pleasure and great ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Tenuta Tignanello is located in the heart of Chianti Classico on the gentle hills between the valleys of the Greve and Pesa rivers and comprises 319 hectares of land, of which around 130 are planted with vines. The estate's vineyards include two jewels: Tignanello and Solaia, which are located on the same hill, on calcareous and schistose marl soils of marine origin from the Pliocene, and which benefit from warm days and fresh nights during the growing season. Two wines are produced from these vineyards, which many years ago had the potential to become the starting point of the Italian wine renaissance. Nothing has changed to this day.

There are wines that have changed the history of their country. Not by chance, not because of a passing trend – but through a single, well-founded act of provocation. In 1971, Piero Antinori commissioned one of the most prominent Italian graphic designers of his time to design the label for his new wine: Silvio Coppola, known for book covers and designer furniture, for his austerity and minimalist style. The label was minimalist – but the wine behind it was a revolution. No Trebbiano, no Malvasia. No white grapes in the red wine, as the Chianti regulations had stipulated since Ricasoli's time. Instead: Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc. Barrique instead of large casks. A wine that consequently fell outside the DOC classification – and was launched on the market as a simple Vino da Tavola. Piero Antinori signed the label with his father Niccolò's name: a gesture of gratitude for the trust that had allowed him the audacity to do so in the first place.

The name Il Bruciato, literally "the fire", commemorates a historic and catastrophic forest fire on the Guado al Tasso estate: in the early 20th century, a vast area of woodland on the estate was completely destroyed by fire. Ever since, the wine has told the story of this event in a poetic way – and of the reconstruction, which is also a symbol of perseverance, identity and the connection between the landscape and wine. Since its debut vintage in 2002, Guado al Tasso has used this wine to pursue the idea of an accessible Bolgheri red wine that remains true to its origins and terroir. The vines grow in the immediate vicinity of Bolgheri Superiore, and the wine is vinified with precision and an eye for balance.

The famous Castello della Sala stands on a hill above Orvieto – a medieval stronghold, surrounded by woodland and olive groves, nestled deep in the tranquillity of Umbria. The Marchesi Antinori have owned it for generations; but what made it a wine legend was the first Cervaro della Sala in 1985: a white wine conceived like a red – barrique fermentation, malolactic fermentation, and a long ageing process. Producing a white wine capable of ageing for decades was by no means a matter of course in Italy at that time. But it became one. The vinification follows a principle once formulated by Renzo Cotarella and which still applies today: as little intervention as possible. The Castello's winery relies on gravity – no mechanical pumps, no unnecessary stress on the grapes. The harvest begins in the early hours of the morning, when temperatures are still cool. The Chardonnay macerates on its skins for four hours at 10 degrees, then ferments in barriques and matures with partial malolactic fermentation. The Grechetto remains exclusively in stainless steel – it provides the tension that the Chardonnay alone cannot deliver. In February, the two are blended together.

The Biserno project began in 2001 with a hunch: Piero and Lodovico Antinori, their nephew Niccolò Marzichi Lenzi and Umberto Mannoni recognised the potential of the hills north of Bolgheri. For over twenty years, they worked meticulously on a plot-by-plot basis, defining three distinct estates – biserno, Campo di Sasso and Collemezzano – and gained an ever-deeper understanding of the region. Today, Niccolò Marzichi Lenzi runs the estate on his own. Colle Mezzano is his most personal wine.

Gaiole lies in the east of Chianti Classico on the border with Arezzo, where the hills are higher, the soil stonier and the climate cooler. San Sano is the highest of Antinori's three new single vineyards: 420 to 450 metres above sea level, on Galestro and Alberese – the characteristic soils that give the Sangiovese grape a precision and tension at this altitude that is not found anywhere else. Antinori acquired San Sano in 2014, the first of the three new vineyards – the gesture of a house that was serious about its return to Chianti Classico. 100% Sangiovese, 5,000 to 6,000 bottles.

Since the 2011 vintage, the Riserva Marchese Antinori has been produced entirely from grapes grown at Tenuta Tignanello. This has led to a reduction in production volume and a further leap in quality. A sparkling ruby colour, with a bouquet of dark wild cherries, graphite, violets and spices. Smooth and round on the palate, yet very juicy, with the French oak adding extra body and richness. SUPERIORE.DE

A name that breathes history: since 2011, the grapes for Marchese Antinori have come exclusively from the vineyards of Tenuta Tignanello – the legendary location that lies at the heart of Chianti Classico between the gentle hills of the Greve and Pesa valleys. Here, where the Medici once walked and where the Antinori family has been realising its visionary wine philosophy since 1850, one of the purest interpretations of Sangiovese thrives on stony limestone soils. The 2022 vintage tells of a summer of extremes – little rain until August, hot spells in June and July. But the old vines proved resilient: even budding, regular flowering, perfectly ripe grapes for harvest. In the winery's cellars, winemaking was carried out with classic precision: gentle destemming, gentle pressing, one week of fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Ten days of maceration using gentle methods – an extraction that combines intensity with elegant, supple tannins. Natural acid degradation until the end of the year, then twelve months of ageing in French and Hungarian oak barrels, followed by a further twelve months of bottle ageing before release.

26 generations, since 1385 – no other estate in the world of wine can boast such an unbroken history. And yet the Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva label is not a museum piece, but a living testament: since the 2011 vintage, made exclusively from the vineyards of Tenuta Tignanello, the estate situated between the Greve and Pesa river valleys, which has shaped 20th-century Tuscan wine history more than any other patch of land in Chianti Classico. 319 hectares, of which 165 hectares are under vine – predominantly Sangiovese, supplemented by small proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Badia a Passignano is always one of the many highlights in the Antinori range and is probably the estate's most refined and elegant Sangiovese. Its character is medium-bodied and supple, but with plenty of fruit intensity, which is typical of the vineyard of the same name. It skilfully strikes a balance between richness and finesse, captivating from the very first sip. Lavender, mint, blue-purple fruit and liquorice are beautifully brought out. It is a very traditional and noble expression of the Tuscan grape that is hard to resist. SUPERIORE.DE

Nibbio is a truly outstanding Chardonnay, hand-picked from a vineyard of just over one hectare on Monte Nibbio in Umbria, which is situated at a lofty height of 520 metres above sea level and belongs to the Castello della Sala estate. The site has cool north-eastern exposures and dense forests at lower altitudes that insulate the temperature. It is the second vintage of the latest passion project of Piero Antinori and his famous OenologistRenzo Cotarella. Nibbio combines Antinori's winemaking traditions with the unique characteristics of the terroir and follows on seamlessly from the path taken 35 years ago with Cervaro della Sala.

High above the Umbrian hills, where the shadows of Monte Nibbio cast their shadow over the ancient walls of the Castello della Sala, a bird of prey circles over a dream that has been decades in the making. Nibbio – the red kite – gave this mountain its name, and today the most ambitious white wine in the entire Antinori empire bears the same name as the majestic bird of prey that has watched over this spectacular landscape for centuries. It is the story of a man and his vision: Renzo Cotarella, winemaker and CEO of Antinori, was born here in Umbria and for decades cherished a dream that bordered on obsession. While the world celebrated Antinori's Tuscan red wine legends, Renzo saw something else – a terroir on Monte Nibbio that could produce the best white wine in Italy. A bold claim for a region that stands in the shadow of famous Tuscany, but Renzo had to prove it. Not only to himself, but also to Piero Antinori, who remained sceptical for years until he finally capitulated and even gave Nibbio his personal signature as the only wine of the entire Antinori dynasty.

Nibbio is a truly outstanding Chardonnay, hand-picked from a vineyard of just over one hectare on Monte Nibbio in Umbria, which is situated at a lofty height of 520 metres above sea level and belongs to the Castello della Sala estate. The site has cool north-eastern exposures and dense forests at lower altitudes that insulate the temperature. It is the second vintage of the latest passion project of Piero Antinori and his famous OenologistRenzo Cotarella. Nibbio combines Antinori's winemaking traditions with the unique characteristics of the terroir and follows on seamlessly from the path taken 35 years ago with Cervaro della Sala.

San Walfredo – a Merlot that breathes history. Named after the Antinori family saint, this Bolgheri Superiore not only stands for excellence, but also for a conscious pause in the flow of modernity. The grapes come from a single plot, from an old, gravel-rich strip of alluvial soil near the sea. The combination of intense sunshine, good aeration and broodingsoils produces grapes of rare concentration and balance. The 2019 vintage got off to a cool start with late budding and an ideal growing season. September brought warm days and cool nights – perfect conditions for a balance of ripeness and freshness. The grapes were harvested exclusively by hand, plot by plot. Fermentation took place in conical stainless steel tanks, with a long maceration period, followed by 18 months of maturation in new French barriques and subsequent rest in the bottle.

From 1546 to 1800, Villa Cigliano was the family seat of the Antinori family in the province of Florence, the place where they first planted vineyards and pressed wine. The estate was then sold. Piero Antinori bought it back in 2011. What sounds like a sentimental gesture was actually a strategic decision: Villa Cigliano is located in the San Casciano UGA, the northernmost part of the Chianti Classico region, right on the outskirts of Florence. A terroir that gives the Sangiovese an accessibility and expressiveness that distinguishes it from the more structured sites to the south. In 2014, Antinori returned to the Chianti Classico consortium after almost four decades. Villa Cigliano is one of the most visible proofs of this commitment: 100% Sangiovese from a site that the family chose over five centuries ago as the first vineyard in the history of the house. Gran Selezione – the highest category of the appellation. 5,000 to 6,000 bottles.

The Castellina in Chianti UGA is located in the western heart of the appellation, a municipality on a ridge between the Arbia and Elsa valleys, with soils of silt, clay and sandstone that give the Sangiovese fullness and warmth. The slopes are sunny and the microclimate is warm. Anyone who works in Castellina knows that Sangiovese matures differently here than elsewhere in Chianti Classico. Antinori acquired the Buiano estate in 2017 – a relatively recent decision within the long-term Gran Selezione project, which comprises four individual vineyards from four different UGAs. No other Chianti Classico estate has such a broad territorial representation. Buiano is the most powerful, full-bodied expression of these four. 100% Sangiovese, 5,000 to 6,000 bottles.