User:Murgh/Tenuta Tignanello

Tenuta Tignanello is an Italian wine producer in the Mercatale Val di Pesa zone of Chianti Classico in Toscana, known as a producer of "Super Tuscan" classified as IGT. The wines Tignanello and Solaia are considered among Italy's leading Bordeaux-style red wines.

History
between the villages of Monteridolfi and Santa Maria a Macerata, 30km south of Florence.

On foundations dated to 1346, when the land belonged to the Buondelmonti. The estate was later taken over by the Niccolini who renamed it Poggio Niccolini, in later years it passed through various aristocrat family owners. In the 17th century it passed to a cadet branch of the Medici family, who named it Fonte dei Medici, and to the Antinoris in the mid-19th century.

Tignanello
The 1970 vintage, originally "Chianti Classico Riserva vigneto Tignanello", when it contained 20% Canaiolo and 5% Trebbiano and Malvasia and was aged in small oak barrels. With the 1971 vintage it became a Tuscan table wine and was named Tignanello. In 1975 the percentage of white grapes was definitively removed. Since 1982 the composition has remained the same.

Solaia
Solaia was first produced a single-vineyard wine from these vines with the 1978 vintage, a release limited only to Italy the initial blend was 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, repeated in 1979. During following vintages, 20% Sangiovese was introduced and small adjustments were made to the proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc used, to arrive at today's blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 20% Sangiovese.

Production
350 ha with 147 ha under vine, the Tignanello vineyard extends 47 ha with the adjacent Solaia vineyard at 10 ha.

Sangiovese variety and the non-native Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc

Malvasia and Trebbiano. Also there are small experimental plantings of Syrah, Pinot Nero and Merlot, from the Seventies.

Fruit not used for these wines is sourced to other Antinori's Chianti Classico Riservas, to the estates Santa Cristina, Tenute del Marchese and Villa Antinori.

The estate also cultivates 37 ha of olive groves for the production of small quantities of extra virgin olive oil.