A Vertical Selection of Tignanello: 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 and more!

Few wines offer a better education in vintage variation than Tignanello. Every bottle comes from the same 57-hectare, southwest-facing vineyard in San Casciano Val di Pesa, planted on Pliocene-era limestone and schist at 350–400 meters elevation. The blend stays within a tight range of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. What changes is the weather — and the winemaking decisions Renzo Cotarella makes in response. We have four vintages on the shelf right now, spanning 2016 to 2021, and tasting them side by side reveals how a single site speaks differently each year. Whether you're looking for a mature bottle ready tonight or a cellar candidate for 2045, there's a Tignanello here for you.

Antinori Tignanello 2016 carries the highest critical consensus of any recent Tignanello vintage — 99 from Wine Enthusiast, 98 from Vinous, 97 from both Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate. The growing season was warm and steady with no extreme heat events, producing even ripening across the vineyard's calcareous marl and galestro schist soils. The blend follows the classic formula: 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc. It aged 14–16 months in French and Hungarian oak before 12 months in bottle. Now approaching a decade of age, the tannins have resolved into a silky texture. Ripe red fruit, blackberry, vanilla, and dark chocolate sit alongside developing secondary notes of tobacco and earth. This is Tignanello in a mature, fully integrated drinking window with another decade of life ahead.

Antinori Tignanello 2019 earned Wine Spectator's #5 spot in their 2022 Top 100 — the second time in recent years the wine has cracked that list. The 2019 growing season was defined by classic Chianti Classico conditions: cold winter, cool rainy spring, and a hot summer without major heat spikes. Cotarella reduced maceration times to respect the vintage's natural tannic grip. This was also the first Tignanello to incorporate 500-liter barrels alongside traditional barriques — a deliberate move toward greater Sangiovese transparency. The blend holds at 80/15/5. On the nose, bright cherry, black currant, dried mint, and blood orange. The palate is compact and streamlined with polished tannins and a savory, earthy finish. This is the most reserved Tignanello of the four — Sangiovese takes center stage with nervous energy and clarity.

Antinori Tignanello 2020 scored 97 from James Suckling, 96 from Vinous, and 96 from Wine Enthusiast. A mild winter and cool spring preceded a hot summer with no extremes. Brief late-summer rains before harvest — September 20 through October 9 — gave the vines a final push toward balanced ripeness. The blend remains 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, aged 15 months in predominantly new French and Hungarian oak. Cotarella has noted he's gradually increasing the Cabernet Franc component in warmer years to counterbalance Sangiovese's added richness. Ripe cherry, roasted coffee, cocoa powder, violets, and lavender on the nose. The palate is vibrant with a layered mouthfeel and silky tannins. This is the most fruit-forward and immediately appealing of the four vintages — sleek, racy, and built for the next decade.

Antinori Tignanello 2021 is the 50th anniversary vintage and the most decorated of the group. Wine Advocate gave it 98 points. Vinous, 98. James Suckling, 98. Wine Spectator, 97 — ranking it #3 in their 2024 Top 100. Cotarella calls it his best vintage and credits earlier blending of the component grapes and refined oak treatment for the added precision. The growing season was long and slow-paced — early bud break, cool April, a hot dry August with timely late rains. The blend shifted meaningfully: Cabernet Franc rose to 8%, the highest proportion in decades, with Sangiovese at 79% and Cabernet Sauvignon at 13%. It spent 17 months in wood — three months in neutral oak during malolactic fermentation, then 14 months at 50% new French oak. Ripe plums, blackberries, candied orange peel, dark chocolate, and tobacco on the nose. The palate shows remarkable harmony with supple, vibrant tannins. Best from 2027 through 2045.