Tignanello, Antinori 1997

A fabulous Tuscan red, young and racy. Deep dark ruby in color, with focused aromas of blackberries, wood and very ripe fruit. Full-bodied, with loads of velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Best after 2003.

The 1997 Tignanello is a blend of 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc, aged in small French oak casks for 12 months, and bottled with no filtration. It possesses a dense, ruby/purple color, and an expansive nose of black currants, cherry compote, vanillin, and earth. Sweet, jammy, and opulently-textured, this expansive, concentrated, low acid wine is flashy and gorgeously-proportioned. It should drink well for 10-15 years, although who can ignore it now?

During the recorking ceremony for the 1971 Tignanello, I had the opportunity to taste four editions of the wine spanning the four decades of its production. The 1997 Tignanello was by far the most enjoyable of these wines. It is experiencing a perfect moment in its drinking window. Looking through The Wine Advocate archive, I see the suggestion of brett in a past review. I found absolutely no imperfections in this wine. Instead, the bouquet is generous and opulent with dark berry, spice, licorice and leather. Much of the Tignanello vineyards were replanted in the 1990s so I expect that the fruit came from younger vines. The finish is silky and long in persistency.

(these vines are almost 60 years old):Healthy bright ruby-red; the darkest of these '14s. Expressive, deep nose offers scents of boysenberry, violet, wild spices and meat. Very concentrated and dense but weightless, conveying an attractive restrained sweetness and a slightly honeyed character to the flavors of dark berries, minerals and meat. Precise but not at all hard, with big but pliant tannins arriving late. Some Pinot Beurrot in this parcel gives the wine an added measure of gras, notes Frédéric Esmonin. Clearly the pick of the litter in 2014. (Drink between 2020-2030)