2023 Antinori Cervaro Della Sala Chardonnay Umbria
The 2023 Antinori “Cervaro della Sala” confirms its status as the undisputed King of Italian white wines. Year after year,
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Producer
Antinori
I have reviewed six wines from Antinori, from the 1985 to 2023 vintages, across Toscana, Umbria and Bolgheri. Most are Cabernet Sauvignon. Scores range from 96 to 98, averaging 97; the highest is the 1985 Antinori “Solaia” Toscana (98 points).
The Marchesi Antinori name is synonymous with the history of Italian wine. With a lineage of 26 generations since 1385, the family has been a driving force in Tuscany’s global reputation, and while its holdings are vast, its spiritual home remains Chianti Classico. Antinori is perhaps best known for igniting the Super Tuscan revolution: Tignanello broke the rules by blending Cabernet with traditional Sangiovese and redefined what Italian wine could be.
Tignanello and Solaia both come from the Tignanello estate between the Greve and Pesa valleys, on Pliocene marine marls rich in limestone, schist and fossils, where hot days bring ripeness and cool evenings keep the acidity. Tignanello is the benchmark for the category, dark cherry and graphite over velvety tannins; Solaia comes from the sunniest part of the same hillside, Cabernet-led and considered among the most influential wines in Italian history. A 1985 Solaia tasted recently was still a powerhouse, nearly forty years on.
On the coast, the family saw Bolgheri’s potential early and built Tenuta Guado al Tasso — “badger’s ford” — whose Bolgheri Superiore from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc on alluvial, gravelly soils is, for me, the estate’s quiet secret. In Umbria, Cervaro della Sala from Castello della Sala was one of the first Italian whites made with malolactic fermentation and barrique ageing: Chardonnay given spine by a little Grechetto, and the benchmark for ambitious Italian whites.
2022 Antinori Tignanello Toscana
Tasting the 2022 vintage of Tignanello was a powerful reminder of why this wine remains the undisputed benchmark for the
2022 Antinori Solaia
Solaia is a wine born from a specific place, a testament to the idea that the greatest wines are an
2022 Antinori “Guado al Tasso” Bolgheri Superiore
The Antinori family who maintained winemaking traditions for more than 600 years identified the potential of the Tuscan coast before
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1985 Antinori “Solaia” Toscana
Tasting the 1985 Solaia wine one year ago was a powerful reminder of why this wine is legendary in the
2021 Antinori “Tignanello” Toscana
Tasting the 2021 vintage of Tignanello felt like revisiting an icon that holds a special place for Italian wine lovers.