~ The Entrance to the Tignanello Estate ~
Tignanello…….
At this point, what can you say? To those of you that have been following this website for a while or who routinely check my social media networks, you will be familiar with my trumpeting of the 2015 and 2016 vintages.
Whenever there is a superlative vintage like 2015, the succeeding vintage is often overlooked. I’ve cautioned against ignoring 2016 on several occasions. First, at Benvenuto Brunello when the Rosso di Montalcinos greatly impressed. Second, when many of the Chianti Classicos started being released. Now, some of the major wines are available and I will implore you all once again: Do not ignore 2016!
~ A gorgeous sunset over the Tignanello Hill on the Antinori Estate ~
The 2016 Antinori Tignanello, like vintages before it, is a blend of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Cabernet. It is a deep purple color in the glass that is almost opaque. The wine was taken to a local Trattoria and was not decanted. No matter, it sang straight from the bottle.
Open and expressive aromas of crushed violets, black plums, leaf tobacco and crushed berry this strikingly complex on the nose. Equally as impressive on the palate, the harmony of the flavors include crushed berry, espresso bean, tobacco and fennel. Yes, it’s young and the tannins remind you of that on the finish. But just like it’s 2015 sibling, this is delicious already and will provide wonderful drinking over the next 15 years or more. 97 points. The only drawback, in the US, it’s fairly certain that this will be $100+ You can find it for less in Italy. Find this wine.
~ The 2016 is every bit as good as the wonderful 2015 and is widely available ~
Salute!
Nice post, John! Expensive wine in the US but worth every penny when the vintage is a success! Cheers! ????
Hey Peter, it is expensive to be sure. But I am comfortable recommending it because of it’s consistently high quality. There are many expensive wines that do not deliver and some that aren’t nearly as consistent as Tignanello. So it’s worth mentioning. Plus, if you can find it in Italy, it won’t be nearly as costly.. Salute!