Tignanello
| Marchesi Antinori Srl | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | Florence, Italy |
| Appellation | Chianti Classico |
| Founded | 1385 |
| First vintage | 1385 |
| Key people | Marchese Piero Antinori |
| Known for | Tignanello, Solaia |
| Varietals | Sangiovese, Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot noir, Pinot blanc, Chardonnay, Trebbiano, Gewurztraminer |
| Other products | Consorzio Laudemio olive oil, Goat's cheese |
| Distribution | International |
| Tasting | 4 shops, main one is at Tavarnelle Val di Pesa (www.osteriadipassignano.com) |
| Website | http://www.antinori.it/ |
Marchesi Antinori Srl is an Italian wine company that can trace its history back to 1385. They are one of the biggest wine companies in Italy, and their innovations played a large part in the "Super-Tuscan" revolution of the 1970s.
Antinori is a member of the Primum Familiae Vini and the 10th oldest family owned company in the world.
Rinuccio di Antinoro is recorded as making wine at the Castello di Combiate near the Tuscan town of Calenzano in 1180. The castello was destroyed in 1202, and the family moved to Florence, where they were involved in silk weaving and banking. In 1385, Giovanni di Piero Antinori joined the Guild of Winemakers, and this is the date usually taken as the start of the wine business.
The fame of their wine expanded over the years, to the extent that in 1506 they could afford to pay 4,000 florins for the Palazzo Antinori, built for the Boni family in the 1460s. At this time, Alessandro Antinori was one of the richest men in Florence, but like many Florentines he was soon bankrupted by the ravages of Charles V of Spain and the economic effect of his New World gold. Nonetheless the family prospered in the ensuing peace and gained the title of Marquis from the House of Habsburg-Lorraine in the 18th century.
The only unfortunate episode of the family happened with Bernardino Antinori, who in the second half of the 16th century had a relationship with Dianora di Toledo, wife of Pietro de' Medici and son of Cosimo I. Pietro, who was known at the time for his brutality and dishonesty, discovered the relationship between the Antinori and his wife, which he accused of adultery and strangled her with a dog leash in July 1576 at the Villa Medici at Cafaggiolo. Bernardino was then arrested and killed in prison, for this reason Pietro was later exiled in Spain by his father Cosimo I.
In 1900, Piero Antinori bought several vineyards in the Chianti Classico region, including 47 hectares at Tignanello. His son Niccolò scandalised Tuscany in 1924 by making a Chianti containing Bordeaux grape varieties. He continued to experiment over the following years, with new blends, types of barrel, temperature control and bottle ageing. Niccolò retired in 1966, to be replaced by his son Piero who was even more innovative. He investigated early harvesting of white grapes, different types of barrique, stainless steel vats and malolactic fermentation of red wines.
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Wikipedia