Toscana IGT
Blend:
80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet
Franc
Climate:
The season was characterized by a mild autumn and winter
with little rainfall,
conditions that favored a slightly earlier bud break
than in previous years. The
spring and growing season saw the onset of difficult weather conditions,
with frequent rains until the end of May; this
caused a slowdown in plant growth,
but without compromising their health. The months of June
and July, on the other hand, were very hot, and only in August
did some rains help the plants to
continue their vegetative-productive process regularly. The months of September and October
were very favorable for harvesting,
thanks also to the temperature variations between day and night,
which created optimal conditions for grape quality, especially for Sangiovese. The
Sangiovese harvest began in the second half of
September, while the Cabernet was harvested until
mid-October, bringing excellent-quality, fully ripe grapes to the cellar. From the very beginning
of vinification, musts with very interesting flavors and colors were evident, which promised
an excellent vintage.

Winery:
The favorable weather conditions during the harvest period allowed for
very targeted harvesting operations, based on the different ripening periods of the varieties and also on the
variability of the vineyard parcels; This also allowed for careful grape selection at harvest and during the incoming harvest, with meticulous selection of the
berries to ensure the highest-quality must fermentation. During the fermentation
and extraction phases, careful delestage and pumping over were performed, respecting the varietal
characteristics and maintaining the good color of the grapes. For all varieties, fermentation was carried out
at an average temperature of 27°C, never exceeding 31°C, to preserve
the fruit's aromas and typicality as much as possible. From the very beginning, the musts displayed
great complexity, and during their transformation into wine, this was further enhanced by elegance,
typicality, and sweet tannins. After racking, once alcoholic fermentation was complete, the wines
were placed in oak barriques where they underwent natural
malolactic fermentation by January. The lots were then blended, aged for
approximately 12 months in barriques, racked regularly, and finally, after careful tasting,
barrique by barrique, the wine was finally blended and bottled. This was followed by
a further year of bottle aging. Alcohol: 13.5%
Historical data:
Tignanello is produced exclusively from the vineyard of the same name, located on 57 hectares
facing southwest, of limestone origin with tuff elements, at an altitude between 350 and 400 meters
above sea level at the Tignanello Estate. It was the first Sangiovese to be aged in barriques, the
first modern red wine blended with non-traditional varieties, such as Cabernet, and among the first
red wines in Chianti not to use white grapes. Tignanello, originally called "Chianti Classico Riserva
Tignanello vineyard," was vinified for the first time from a single vineyard in the 1970 vintage,
when it contained 20% Canaiolo and 5% Trebbiano and Malvasia, and was aged in small
oak barrels. In the 1971 vintage, it became a Tuscan table wine and was called Tignanello.
In the 1975 vintage, the white grapes were completely eliminated. Since 1982, the blend has
remained the same as today. Tignanello is produced only in the best years; It was not
produced in 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1984, 1992, and 2002.
Tasting notes:
Tignanello 2008 comes from a vintage characterized by excellent grape ripeness, which is reflected in the
wine's intense ruby ??red color and great concentration on the nose,
thanks to the presence of ripe red fruit that leads to notes of jam, but also spice,
vanilla, and licorice. On the palate, the wine is characterized by a dense and elegant texture, supported by
the significant acidity of the Sangiovese. The tannins are absolutely sweet, and the finish is long and
persistent.