Tignanello is the original, the Father of the Super Tuscan - the first wine to askew the conventions of the Chianti Consorzio and set the stage for the Tuscan wine renaissance. It's praise that's rightly deserved.
Over the weekend we opened a wine set deep into the cellar, the last of the vintage. The 1995 Antinori Tignanello is a blend of 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet and 5% Cabernet Franc. The wine was decanted about 30 minutes before dinner to remove a large, coffee grind like sediment.
In the decanter, the wine looks as youthful as the 2009 I just tasted at Gambero Rosso. In the glass, the taster can observe a slightly faded, brick colored rim. The overall color is still a very dark blackish garnet but the wine doesn't appear to shimmer vibrantly. It's almost a brooding, murky color. Some fine silt like sediment remained in the wine, so I'm wondering if that contributed to this perception.
The nose of the wine is mature. There's dried flowers, dried herbs, leather, and rustic cherry aromas. In the mouth, the wine has become a stately gentleman. The dried herb and tobacco flavors are prominent with a medium bodied core of berry and red fruits. Slight smoked meat and licorice are present on the finish. The balance is there, with the acids providing lift and the tannins fully resolved. A little more concentration and vitality would be welcomed. While I've always contended that the 1995's were the modern day 1988's, this wine doesn't seem to fit that bill and seems a bit tired. 91 points. About $38 upon release.
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| Tignanello, by Antinori |
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