Description
The 2019 growing season went through a period of relatively cold temperatures in April and May, followed by hot dry weather up until July. Initial vine growth was delayed but caught up to a normal pace by summer. A sudden rise in temperatures resulted in lighter, loosely packed clusters, especially notable in the late ripening varieties where fruit set wasn’t yet fully completed. The months of August and September brought stable sunny weather that allowed grapes to progress to full ripeness in optimal conditions, achieving exceptionally high quality of each grape variety. Harvesting began on 16th September with Merlot, slightly later than usual, continued with Cabernet Franc at the end of September, and was completed on 5th October with the last vineyard block of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Producer Information: Antinori
The Antinori family have been producing wine in Tuscany for six centuries, and exporting it for four; that’s twenty-six generations of uninterrupted family ownership. The first recorded mention of the family dates from 1188, when they worked in the silk trade. They moved to Florence in the early thirteenth century, and remain central figures in the fabric of the city; Piazza Antinori is the square in the historic centre where their offices are located.
Winemaking was added to the family’s activities in 1385, and during the sixteenth century the wines spread, along with Antinori’s reputation, to France, Flanders, Spain and North Africa. The purchase of the Tignanello estate in 1900 marked the beginning of a remarkable period of expansion, which shows no signs of abating.
