About this winery

The Antinori family has been in the wine business since Giovanni di Piero Antinori joined the Florentine Guild of Vintners in 1385 - more than 26 generations ago. Throughout the company's long history it has remained family owned and operated, and today it is directed by Marchese Piero Antinori. Though Antinori has played an important role in preserving Italy's enological traditions it is also one of Italy's most dynamic and visionary producers of fine wines, with estates concentrated in the...

See the Antinori Estates detail page for more information on this brand

Product notes

Villa Antinori is, first and foremost, an idea, a way of conceiving the production of wine: on the one hand, experimentation and evolution, on the other hand, continuity in tradition. Sangiovese and other complementary grape varieties render their homage to an historic label and a wine with a long tradition,: this name, in fact, is almost one hundred years old, as the wine was produced for the first time in the 1928 vintage. With the inauguration of the Antinori Chianti Classico cellars, the family wished to reinterpret a Tuscan classic with a Riserva offering which is both delicate and, at the same time, elegant and decisive in flavor.

Production notes

The grapes were destemmed and gently crushed then transferred into stainless steel vats where alcoholic fermentation took place at a controlled temperature that did not exceed 30 °C (86 °F). Maceration on the skins lasted for a period of approximately 12-15 days using controlled automated techniques to gently extract aromas,structure, and supple tannins. Sangiovese underwent malolactic fermentation in stainless steel vats while the other grape varieties went into second and third fill barriques. The various lots were blended and continued to age in oak, predominantly in larger format barrels and a smaller percentage in barriques, up until spring 2020. The wine was bottled in July 2020.

Tasting notes

Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva 2018 is ruby red in color. On the nose it offers fruity notes of plums and black cherries accompanied by balsamic and minty aromas, and a complex spicy sensation of cocoa and tobacco. On the palate, its entry is smooth and mouth filling. Sweet tannins impart length and a savory, persistent finish.